Fill The Stadium

OVER 100 COMMUNITY GROUPS HELP TO #FILLTHESTADIUM FOR THE WORLD PARA ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

In excess of 100 community groups from across the country take advantage of offer to attend the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017
Guide and Scout groups, sports clubs, youth clubs and charities join Prince Harry, celebrities and top-flight football clubs in supporting #FillTheStadium
World Para Athletics Championships London 2017 set to enjoy the biggest audience in World Para Sport championship history.

More than 100 community groups from across the country are supporting #FillTheStadium and will be attending the World Para Athletics Championships, which kick off on Friday at the London Stadium.

Organisers worked to make special group rates available to Guide and Scout groups, sports clubs, youth clubs, charities and social enterprises nationwide in recognition of the valuable contribution they have made to the lives of many people in the UK, in particular children and teenagers.

From Herne Bay Boccia club in Kent and the 4th Tiptree Brownies in Essex to Friends of the Elderly and Love to Swim, the 100-plus community groups will be spectating at the Championships and helping cheer on more than 1,000 elite Para athletes.

In attending, the community groups join Prince Harry, celebrities like Dame Barbara Windsor and the foundations and trusts of ten professional football clubs including Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal in throwing their support behind #FillTheStadium.

Having registered record ticket sales for a World Para Athletics Championship, organisers are now urging even more people to come and watch the event and #FillTheStadium. Three weeks ago organisers confirmed that 230,000 tickets have been sold for the Championships making it the second largest Para sport event in history behind the Paralympic Games.

Theo Spalding-McIntosh, Dame Kelly Holmes Trust, Athlete Team Leader – London & South East, said: “We have signed up to bring our Get On Track to the World Para Athletics Championships because we want them to experience a world-class sporting event and see the impact of sport in their home city. It is a fantastic opportunity, we had to take it up.”

Sally Tomlinson, Assistant Leader at Girlguiding UK, said: “We are very excited to be going to watch the World Para Athletics Championships to show children that anything is possible and to dream big and push yourself to the limit. If you work hard enough you can achieve whatever your ability or disability is. It is also very important to support those who have worked even harder to succeed with a disability and show respect and celebrate their achievements, big or small.”

Yashmin Harun, chair of the Muslimah Sports Association, said: “MSA feel that all sports of all abilities are important and it is equally important that those sports and athletes at the World Para Athletics Championships get recognition and support for the hard work they put in throughout the year. That is why we felt it is paramount to take a group from our community to show our support and unity for the British team.”

Nedra Saparamadu, Manager at the Ade Adepitan Short Break Centre in Kingsbury, said: “I signed up to bring a group of young people from the Ade Adepitan Short Break Centre to the World Para Athletics Championships to give them the opportunity to have a unique experience, watch the event live, soak up the atmosphere and inspire them to be active and make it a day to remember. We of course have very close links with Ade Adepitan and the young people delighted to attend. It will greatly enrich their experiences engaging in the community. I appreciate all the work London 2017 has done to make it possible for our young people to attend the Championships.”

Groups including charities, social enterprises and community clubs are welcome to bring a group to #FillTheStadium at the World Para Athletics Championships London 2017. Tickets at £5 for adults and £3 for children are available at tickets.london2017athletics.com by using the code GROUPS at the checkout page. For more information, contact Calum Campbell at ccampbell@london2017.org.uk.