Tony Blair To Attend Beyond Sport Summit

Beyond Sport has announced that former British Prime Minister and the
Chairman of the Beyond Sport Ambassadors Tony Blair will be attending
the Beyond Sport Summit 2011, taking place in Cape Town, South Africa
from 5th-8th December.? ?

At the third annual gathering of its
kind, the former British Prime Minister will join an array of
high-profile leaders from international sports federations, corporate
companies, global aid organisations, and social philanthropy at the
Summit, helping to build on the continuing evolution of the Beyond Sport
network and its mission to celebrate and support the use of sport as a
vehicle for positive social change.? ?

In office Tony Blair was a
consistent advocate for the positive role sport can play in public
policy and played a leading role in the UK’s bid for the London 2012
Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Since leaving Downing Street, he
has also launched the Tony Blair Sports Foundation, which will increase
participation in sport by young people, particularly those who are
currently socially excluded – by enabling more adults to become trained
coaches and by helping to match coaches with the schools and sports
clubs which need them.? ?

Mr. Blair said: ‘No country has seen
the immense power of sport and its ability to bind people together more
than the Rainbow Nation – from the Springboks in 1995 to the Vuvuzelas
in 2010. This global gathering in Cape Town takes Beyond Sport to the
very heart of sport and development and we are absolutely delighted to
have Archbishop Desmond Tutu as our Patron’.

‘The work Beyond
Sport does in bringing together the people at the forefront of this
movement not only highlights the substantial benefits of such
initiatives and the transformative influence they can have but also
encourages others to act. I’m really looking forward to meeting many of
these remarkable individuals at the Summit in December’.

Last
month Beyond Sport announced that Archbishop Desmond Tutu, one of the
most recognised activists in the world, has agreed to become the global
organisation’s Official Patron.? ?

Archbishop Tutu, commented:
‘I’ve witnessed first-hand the power sport can have on communities and
to see so many people in one room talking about they can use this power
for good was a humbling moment. Beyond Sport can achieve great
things’.??

Nick Keller, Founder of Beyond Sport, added: ‘The
passionate advocacy of our Chairman Tony Blair and our Patron Archbishop
Desmond Tutu demonstrates that the most experienced of world statesmen
recognise the significant role sport has to play in vital development
issues’.? ?

The Beyond Sport Ambassadors bring their unique
experiences and visions to the Beyond Sport initiative and offer their
input during the final judging process for the Beyond Sport Awards which
provides a package of business support to projects across the world
that use sport to address issues within their communities.

Ambassdors
include the multi-Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson and Dame Kelly
Holmes; Lord Sebastian Coe, Chairman of London 2012; Lucas Radebe,
former Bafana Bafana Captain; and two-time Women’s World Cup winner and
former president of the Women’s Sport Foundation, Julie Foudy.? ?

Lucas
Radebe, Beyond Sport Ambassador: ‘Growing up in Soweto, I witnessed
first-hand how effective sport can be in making a difference in young
people’s lives. I have now seen the impact sport can have on a global
scale’.

‘As a Beyond Sport Ambassador, I have attended the
global Summits in London and in Chicago, and am extremely thrilled to
again be a part of this inspirational gathering, this time in my home
country, when Beyond Sport comes to Cape Town in December’.??

Dame
Kelly Holmes, Beyond Sport Ambassador: ‘Beyond Sport makes heroes of
individuals, organizations and projects that use sport to really make a
difference to people’s lives. I am absolutely delighted to have been
part of the global initiative from the beginning and very proud to be an
Ambassador’.

?The four days of the Summit 2011 will use a
unique combination of networking opportunities, insightful panels, and
action-led working sessions to collide those who use sport as a vehicle
to create social impact, with influencers from the world of business,
government and federations whose attitudes and decisions can have
substantial impact.

?Once again representatives from all of the
shortlisted Beyond Sport Awards 2011 projects across the world will be
brought to the Summit in Cape Town to share their insights and best
practices from the front line of the sport and development. ??

Having
celebrated the best sport and development projects from across the
world in 2009 and 2010, the Beyond Sport Awards 2011 opened for entries
once again in January this year with the winners to be announced at the
Summit in December.

The Awards Shortlist was unveiled in early
June, selected from close to 400 projects covering more than 150
countries.? ?Further announcements on speakers and panellists as well as
details on how to attend the third Beyond Sport Summit will be made in
the coming weeks and months. Those wishing to attend can register their
place at www.beyondsport.org

Beyond Sport is a global initiative
that seeks to celebrate and support any organisation or individual with
the goal to drive positive social change through sport. It is partnered
with Barclays Spaces for Sports, TIME International and UNICEF.?For more
information on Beyond Sport or its Summit and Awards, log on to
www.beyondsport.org