Norwich Union, the UK’s biggest insurer and the Number 1 sponsor of UK Athletics, today announced their sponsorship of the European Athletics Indoor Championships to take place in Birmingham from 2-4 March 2007.
Norwich Union, the UK’s biggest insurer and the Number 1 sponsor of UK Athletics, today announced their sponsorship of the European Athletics Indoor Championships to take place in Birmingham from 2-4 March 2007.
The company has become one of the National Partners for the event and the announcement demonstrates its long term commitment to the sport of athletics at all levels that was recently extended until 2012.
Tanya Veingard, Head of Sponsorship and Corporate Social Responsibility from Norwich Union said: ”The European Athletics Indoor Championships is the first major international athletics event to be staged in Britain since it was announced that London is to host the Olympic Games in 2012. This partnership allows us to showcase our commitment to the sport at all levels. Many of the promising youngsters in the Norwich Union Great Britain & Northern Ireland Team competing in Birmingham next year will have started their athletics careers at one of our grassroots schemes, and they will be able to prepare on the new track at the NIA at the Norwich Union Grand Prix the week before the Championships.”
The European Athletics Indoor Championships is being staged at Birmingham’s NIA and Brian Stocks the Championships Director, is delighted that Norwich Union will be involved with the event.
Stocks said: “We are pleased that Norwich Union has signed up as a National Partner for the Championships. Having sponsored UK Athletics for seven years, Norwich Union has become a major part of the sport in this country so their involvement is this Championships is a natural progression.”
He added: “Norwich Union was also a key partner for the World Indoor Athletics Championships which Birmingham successfully staged in 2003 and we hope that their sponsorship this time round will be just as beneficial to both parties.”
Norwich Union will now join a growing band of sponsors for the European Athletics Indoor Championships, which will see 600 athletes from nearly 50 countries competing over three days. Other organisations already signed up to support the event include Advantage West Midlands, Intersport, The University of Birmingham, Birmingham Post and Mail Limited, Hire Intelligence, Highland Spring and Heart FM.
The partnership was negotiated on behalf of Norwich Union by MEC Sponsorship and on behalf of the Championships by their official sponsorship agent Fast Track. The Championships’ sponsorship team, led by Fast Track’s Rights Marketing Director, Marc Hope, is aiming to smash the record amount of sponsorship obtained for a European Athletics Indoor event and is well on their way to achieving this.
To find out more about the event log on to www.birminghamathletics2007.com.
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For more information please contact
Sarah Guest (European Athletics Indoor Championships)
0121 464 2012 / 07766 924 280
Tanya Veingard (Norwich Union)
020 7662 3616 / 07800 695 269
Stuart Wareman (MEC Sponsorship)
020 7803 2306 / 07733 010 799
Notes to editors
- Norwich Union is the Number 1 sponsor of UK Athletics since 1999. In addition to seven live televised events and sponsorship of the GB & NI Athletics team at all levels, the company has trebled its investment in grassroots athletics. It is estimated that as a result, by 2012 over 10 million children, 1.5m families and 100,000 teachers in over 25,000 schools will have been involved in Norwich Union initiatives.
- Norwich Union’s aim is to help prepare champions at all levels and to increase participation to help prepare children for future life challenges through sport.
- The European Athletics Indoor Championships will be the most prestigious athletics event staged in the UK since the announcement that London will host the 2012 Olympics.
- It is expected to attract around 15,000 spectators over three days and will have an estimated economic impact for Birmingham of more than Ł3 million.
- The event will be organised by Birmingham City Council and UK Athletics on behalf of the European Athletic Association.
- UK Sport is part funding the Championships through their World Class Events Programme, which aims to secure events of strategic importance that deliver a range of lasting benefits. These include economic, social and cultural benefits as well as improving sporting performance by home athletes, encouraging participation and leaving a legacy of facilities and development initiatives. Over 100 sporting events have been staged in the UK through the Programme since 1997.