Help My Daughter Defend her European title

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by graemepaterson

I started off writing to local businesses and included local/national press cuttings which included a sponsors bit thanking current sponsors etc. I used to get about ?1750 a year from several companies normally contributing ?250 - ?500 each.

Wales = no sponsors. Well not exactly, we have tried this route in the past, but with little success. Perhaps you could dig out one of your letters that was successful and send it over for a butchers? Maybe we are just getting the wording wrong.

Originally Posted by graemepaterson

I then had a main sponsor which was YAK when they were big well known brand (although they still are to be fair), they used to provide me with about ?5k's worth of equipment, some of which was of useful, some of was so heavy duty for slalom so they just wanted a picture of me in then I could sell it on.

She has this. Boat sponsored by Square Rock, clothing by Palm. She has good sponsorship from the kayaking industry, but as you say, with her profile in the sport she is good value for the brands. How many Jackson All-Stars do you see the ladies paddling?

Originally Posted by graemepaterson

Try the smaller, lesser known drink brands like Relentless or even bigger ones like VK etc......several slalom paddlers now have sponsorship through car manufacturer, granted not brilliant ones (Skoda, Proton, etc) but thats another route to try, but for vans Maybe?

Indeed more long term this would be an excellent idea. A sponsored van would be an awesome advantage.

Originally Posted by graemepaterson

Fortunately with slalom having olympic status, grant and lottery money came in all over the place as well through Sport England and World Class Performance.

Yeah this is the problem, she needs money! Do you realise that all the BCU / WCA pay for is her entry fee to the competition? She has to fund the travel. living expenses and accommodation herself.

She has the talent, the attitude, the fitness, the equipment to win this. With the worry of how to pay for a winning campaign lifted from her shoulders she will do very well.

[G]

I'll try and look out a letter, my dad will likely have them somewhere, I have to give it to my dad he was the machine behind me getting all my sponsors because I was young at the time . I have him to thank for all his hard work.

How about a bit of a fundraiser at the uni? Assuming Lowri has contacts in the uni clubs associated with the watersports, maybe something to involve both students and locals? Or has this already been done

[Lissa]

I don't know whether her registering on this site will do any good, but it couldn't hurt I don't think.

http://www.catchsport.com/fencing/catchsports.nsf/

[Luckypants]

Originally Posted by Lissa

I don't know whether her registering on this site will do any good, but it couldn't hurt I don't think.

http://www.catchsport.com/fencing/catchsports.nsf/

good call lissa, she is already on there and we have fingers crossed right now.

[Luckypants]

BUMP


Some good suggestions so far, but keep them coming!

Latest news is Lowri has got a grant from her Uni for £150, which covers the flight out there. Another grant from Ceredigion council for a similar amount covers getting home again.

i'd try the welsh institute of sport. as i said the scottish version and smaller area institutes were brilliant for me(the scottish team) they used to help provide lots of stuff that we needed. she's got to be of the standard to get selected for it and they will have access to funds to help support trips!

also for future though, car sponsors seem to be pretty good. a few car manufacturers seem to use paddling/climing/skiing/snowbaording etc now and a marketing tool. surely a fairly high profile athlete would be good for them. skiing is sponsored by land rover. try a few local garages and stuff.

[Luckypants]

Cheers Malks. I think we have been down this road before and the problem was that Freestyle was not recognised by the Sports Council for Wales, so did not qualify for funding. There is a re-organisation of funding going on and Elite Cymru will now support only NON-Olympic sports, so that is looking more hopeful.

Guess who came into Matalan this evening!











Lowri I was a bit too shy to say hello properly though, other than in the professional manner lol. Small world though eh?


Ok, just Aber

Awww... you should`ve said hi lol I was in Matalan too today but not the Aberystwyth branch!

Thats good news bout her latest grant Mike, hope there`s a lot more funding to follow