Elton John backs next generation of Olympians and Paralympians with charity concert for SportsAid

• Concert inspired by London 2012 aims to raise £500,000 to help young sports people with big ambitions

• Former SportsAid recipient Sir Steve Redgrave welcomes the impact it will have on the next generation

SportsAid is very proud to announce that Sir Elton John CBE will be giving a live solo performance at the historic Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire this summer to help young Olympic and Paralympic hopefuls who are striving to achieve their sporting ambitions.

At this intimate summer concert on June 28 SportsAid is hoping to raise £500,000 to create a new athlete fund with Sir Elton John, whose support for the charity dates back to its founding years in the late 1970s. Tickets are available from Ticketmaster and all the proceeds will go to the charity.

In the run up to and beyond the Rio Olympic and Paralympic Games, SportsAid will use the money that is raised to help aspiring young sportsmen and women throughout the UK. The support they receive will help them make it through the critical but often challenging early years of their careers when costs are high and they receive no other direct financial support.

“I am so excited to be part of this landmark event for SportsAid and to be helping the young, aspiring sports stars of the future,” said Sir Elton John, who as one of the world’s most successful artists still describes sport as one of his great passions after music – recently co-founding Rocket Sports Management and famously a lifelong Watford FC fan.

“I thought the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games were incredible and I was very moved by the ‘inspire a generation’ motto that accompanied it,” he added. “The Games really brought home to me the sacrifices and enormous challenges that young people face to reach the highest level in sport – and from such an early age too. Their ambition and courage is a huge source of inspiration to me and I know we can make a big difference to their lives by setting up this new fund.”

At London 2012 almost two-thirds of the British team were former recipients of SportsAid’s support, winning 20 of Team GB’s 29 gold medals and 27 of ParalympicsGB’s 34 gold medals.

Welcoming the exciting news, British sporting legend Sir Steve Redgrave said, “This is just amazing. It will have a huge impact on young and aspiring sports people. They work so hard and their efforts often go unnoticed – I know from personal experience what a difference support from SportsAid can make. To have a global superstar like Sir Elton John backing the next generation is incredible.”

Tickets for the all-seater, reserved seating event – which will be on Saturday 28 June 2014 in the exquisite gardens of Stoke Park in Buckinghamshire – start at £75 (subject to availability) and are on sale from Ticketmaster. See the Ticketmaster website (http://bit.ly/1dbtIa3) or call 0844 844 0444 to book.

Thanks to the generous support of Sir Elton John and Stoke Park all the proceeds from the concert will go to SportsAid (UK charity: 1111612; Patron: Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge) to support the next generation of British athletes.

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