Shorts: Grealish, Soccer Aid, Jta

Non-profit organisation Special Olympics GB has announced that Jack Grealish, the 26-year-old England football star, has become a principal ambassador.

Jack Grealish has committed to a long-term role with Special Olympics GB with the aim of raising visibility of the charity’s work throughout Great Britain and driving support and opportunities for the 1.5 million people who live with intellectual disabilities in Great Britain today.

Grealish, who became the most expensive English football player ever when he signed for Manchester City from Aston Villa last year for £100 million, has committed to using his platform to shine a light on the empowering role that Special Olympics GB plays in driving inclusion and creating possibilities for all individuals to be accepted regardless of ability or disability.

Jack Grealish said, “I’ve been thinking for some time about how I can best use the platform football has given me to create a positive change, and it had to be something really close to my heart. Special Olympics GB is such an important organisation, playing a huge role in tackling the lack of inclusion for hundreds of thousands of kids in the UK with intellectual disabilities.

Soccer Aid for UNICEF has announced that it has partnered with the Swiss organisation ORIGYN Foundation for the 2022 game in London. ORIGYN Foundation uses NFTs, biometric data and unique ownership experiences to power brands, artists, marketplaces, consumers and industries with guaranteed certificates of authenticity.

During training week, ORIGYN will have full access to players for content capture in addition to having its logo featured on the sleeves of both teams’ official training kit.

This year, there will be no NFTs sold through the event. However, Kenneth Shepherd, Co-Founder of Soccer Aid for UNICEF, is excited at the prospect of future collaborations. He said, “We’re delighted to welcome ORIGYN Foundation on board as a new partner – what they’re doing in the NFT space is incredible, and we look forward to working together for many years to come.”

UK-based independent sports communications and international relations consultancy JTA has officially launched a new sponsorship consulting division called ‘Partner on Purpose’. It is dedicated to helping brands re-imagine their sponsorship strategies in a post-pandemic world and aim to help brands become more purpose-driven and more empathetic to fast-changing societal values.

Partner on Purpose Chairman, Jon Tibbs, said, “The results of this survey show that there is an overwhelming belief within the sports sponsorship industry that partnerships are expected to be more engaging, more community-centric and more focused on positive change. This trend has only been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic and recent geopolitical events have reinforced the need for the industry to be responsive, flexible and adaptive. Consumers want, and increasingly expect, brands to engage in more purposeful and meaningful partnerships. Partner on Purpose will help brands meet the demands of their consumers while also contributing to shaping a more harmonious society.”

Four professional footballers, Dan Bachmann, Josh Windass, Tom Cairney and Dan Gosling, have announced that they will be backing a revolutionary new social media platform that promises to provide a safer space for online users. The players vowed to change the game for social media users following the horrific abuse that they have seen in football over the past 18 months.

The platform, OPON, requires users to upload a form of ID before they can access special features and engagement functionality within the app. OPON will be the first British-owned social media site and aims to stamp out online abuse by making its users accountable for their actions.

BetUK, part of LeoVegas Group, has announced an exclusive horse racing partnership with the addition of six-time champion jockey Kieren Fallon to their existing deals. The former Irish jockey to offer expert tips, knowledge and insight as part of a series of podcasts available to watch on the Bet UK website.

Fallon said, “I’m delighted to be working with BetUK on the Fallon’s Fancies podcast, I hope my knowledge and tips will give an entertaining insight into the wonderful world of horse racing and encourage more people to get involved and perhaps find a winner or two!“

Shahin Rasti has been appointed as the new Head of Partnerships at gaming and culture brand EXCEL ESPORTS. After three years working at marketing agency Fuse, Rasti will lead the servicing, strategy, and acquisition of commercial partners at EXCEL.

He commented, “I’m delighted to have started my new role as Head of Partnerships at gaming and culture brand, EXCEL ESPORTS, A huge thank you to Wouter Sleijffers and Mark Carter for the opportunity and thrilled to be a part of this exciting space.”

Canon Medical Systems UK has announced a unique health and wellbeing collaboration with Sheffield City Council, Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, BBraun Sheffield Sharks basketball franchise, PCA Ltd and The LivingCare Group. The new ‘Park Community Arena’ is anticipated to open in 2023 as the UK’s first affordable carbon net-zero built sports, healthcare and community arena featuring an integrated Medical Diagnostic Centre.

Based at the heart of the Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, the new, sustainably built arena will offer a flexible sporting facility, featuring three full-size basketball courts, and designed to hold 2500 spectators. It will be the new home for the Sheffield Sharks and the Sheffield Hatters (women) professional basketball teams and the arena will be available to wider sporting, education, and community organisations. Working with local educational partners, it will establish a leading UK basketball academy and programme, serving the spectrum of elite to recreational basketball players.