Laura Wright becomes SportsAid’s latest ambassador

Soprano singer Laura Wright has today joined SportsAid’s growing list of celebrity supporters to encourage more people to support the next generation of British athletes.

She joins fellow ambassadors Laura Robson and Keri-anne Payne, as well as the charity’s Patron, Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge, in helping SportsAid to celebrate the athletes’ incredible achievements and raise awareness about the huge financial difficulties that many of them face.

Announcing her new role today at the launch of the Great East Swim, Laura said, “I am particularly honoured to be an ambassador for SportsAid and join Her Royal Highness The Duchess of Cambridge in helping to shine a light on the achievements and potential of young athletes throughout the UK.”

These athletes are among the best in the country for their age but face enormous challenges. Being largely self-funded, they spend around £6,000 a year just to train and compete – most of which goes on travel expenses. To help them, Laura will be putting her name to the new ‘Laura Wright SportsAid Awards’, which will give financial support to help up-and-coming athletes stay in sport.

Welcoming the boost Laura will give to SportsAid’s work, the charity’s chief executive Tim Lawler said, “We’re excited to be working with Laura because she’s so passionate about sport and about helping young people to achieve their ambitions. The athletes who are helped by SportsAid make daily sacrifices and rarely get the recognition they deserve, but with Laura’s help, particularly with the charity's 40th anniversary approaching in 2016, we can keep the spotlight on their incredible achievements and give them the confidence that they are on the right track.”

Later this year one of Laura’s first appearances for SportsAid will be at the Great East Swim, which is at Alton Water near Ipswich on June 20, where she will be singing live for the competitors and their families before taking to the water herself to raise money for the charity.

She added, “I’m really excited, although a little nervous, about taking part in this year’s Great East Swim. It promises to be a fantastic experience that I am really looking forward to. I really do hope that by taking on the swim I can highlight the fantastic work that SportsAid does.”

The Great East Swim has four courses of different lengths from half a mile up to five kilometres. For more information and to enter visit www.greatswim.org