The Aviva Foundation has started a grant programme for disabled sportsmen and women and their trainers, which will make their preparations for the London 2012 Paralympic Games easier.
The Aviva Foundation has started a grant programme for disabled sportsmen and women and their trainers, which will make their preparations for the London 2012 Paralympic Games easier. The Foundation has entered into long-term collaboration with the Polish Paralympic Committee.
The Aviva Foundation was created in 2009 by the Aviva insurance and finance group (formerly Commercial Union). The creation of the corporate foundation is an important element of the group's corporate responsibility (CR) strategy.
"We decided that the Aviva Foundation will support one exceptional and socially important project. We recognised that Polish disabled sportsmen and women and their trainers are exceptionally courageous people who deserve our help. We started our collaboration with the Polish Paralympic Committee and founded a grant programme which will help them in their preparation for the forthcoming London 2012 Paralympic Games," says Dominika Kraśko-Białek, vice-president of the Aviva group in Poland.
The grant programme, which will last until 2012, will help 50 sportsmen and women and 18 trainers. This is almost half of the national team. There are grant recipients across almost all of the paralympic disciplines.
"Aviva is the first company in Poland to suggest this kind of long-term support for our disabled sportsmen and women. We are very grateful to them. Grants are an incentive for our competitors who often combine arduous training with working to earn a living. During the last Paralympic Games in Beijing 2008, Polish sportsmen and women won 30 medals, including five gold medals. We could win even more in London. The Paralymic Games show that the barriers which make it difficult for disabled people to function in society can be overcome," said Longin Komołowski, president of the Polish Paralympic Committee.
"Every day is very similar for me - I have a quick breakfast in the morning, work, lunch, and then over two hours of training. For me, sporting success requires a bit of talent, persistence in striving towards your goals, good collaboration with your trainer and help from those around you. It also takes discipline and a lot of sacrifices," says Justyna Kozdryk, silver medallist at the Beijing Paralympic Games for weight-lifting and a recipient of a grant from the Aviva Foundation.
The Aviva Foundation's collaboration with the Polish Paralympic Committee is not all about grants.
"We also want to promote the attitudes which are essential for achieving success in paralympic sport, particularly passion and tenacity in overcoming your limitations. Disabled sportsmen and women can be role models so we want to tell our employees, customers and society as a whole about their achievements," says Monika Drozdowska, president of the Aviva Foundation.
The first example of this activity was the attendance of disabled sportsmen and women and representatives of the committee at a meeting of Aviva group employees in December 2009. Those present were able to watch a contest between disabled fencer Radosław Stańczuk (bronze medallist at the Beijing Paralympic Games) and his trainer Małgorzata Najlepsza.
The Aviva Foundation is introducing an inaugural social campaign which will present disabled sportsmen and women, their efforts and achievements. The Foundation will also aim to popularise paralympic sport and promote equal treatment of sportsmen and women in the media.
More information about the work of the Polish Paralymic Committee and the achievements of Polish sportsmen and women can be found online at www.paralympic.org.pl.
The official inauguration of the collaboration between the Foundation and the Committee will take place during the New Year's Paralympic Meeting on Tuesday 12 January at 1.30-5.30pm at the Hotel Courtyard Marriott, ul Żwirki i Wigury 1 (opposite Okęcie airport).
Journalists wanting a comment from the Committee are asked to contact Marek Różycki, vice-president of the Polish Paralymic Committee, telephone 604 144 834.
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Information:
Bohdan Białorucki, press spokesperson
Telephone: (22) 557 43 41 / 501 781 140
E-mail: bohdan.bialorucki@aviva.pl
Grzegorz Mathea
Telephone: (22) 557 43 70
E-mail: grzegorz.mathea@aviva.pl
Notes to editors:
Aviva is the world’s fifth and Great Britain’s number one insurance company. Worldwide, the Aviva Group operates in 28 countries and serves almost 50 million customers, generating annual revenues of £50 billion, and manages assets valued at £380 billion.
Aviva has existed in Poland since 1992 (trading as Commercial Union until May 2009). It is a pioneer of modern life insurance products and a world leader in terms of retirement funds. It also offers investment products, property insurance for companies and individual customers, group life insurance and employee’s pension plans.
For further information see: www.aviva.pl, www.avivainvestors.pl, www.aviva.com.