CHARITY TO SPONSOR NORWICH CITY FC FOR ONE DAY

Added: (Fri Oct 24 2008)

Pressbox (Press Release) - CHARITY TO SPONSOR NORWICH CITY FC FOR ONE DAY

Caption photo 1: Richard Draper MBE, Founder of The Benjamin Foundation, with Norwich City Midfielder, Darel Russell sporting The Benjamin Foundation shirt that the team will be wearing for the match tomorrow. The small Norfolk-based charity’s name will be emblazoned on the team’s shirt for this Saturday's match against Doncaster Rovers.
For immediate release

When Norwich City come out onto the pitch at Carrow Road this Saturday to play Doncaster Rovers, the crowd of over 20,000 won’t see them dressed in their normal Aviva strip.

This is because for one day the Canaries will be sporting the name of a small Norfolk-based charity – The Benjamin Foundation – which beat four other worthy causes when it captured the hearts of Norfolk and won the highest number of public votes in a county-wide competition for one day’s worth of sponsorship of Norwich City Football Club.

The sponsorship package won by The Benjamin Foundation includes a full set of specially-commissioned team shirts, use of the Aviva executive box, coverage in the matchday programme and collectors around stadium pre-match.

The package which has been donated by City’s main club sponsor, Aviva, is a first for Norwich City Football Club.

The Benjamin Foundation, based in North Walsham in Norfolk, was founded by Richard Draper who named the charity in honour of his son Ben who died in a motorcycle accident at the age of 17. Over the past 16 years the Foundation has continued to grow and provides a diverse range of services for children and young people across Norfolk. The Foundation has highly trained counsellors and Parent Support Advisers working in Norfolk’s schools and two homes for 16 to 25 year olds which provide not just a roof over the heads of their residents, but access to support workers who provide the young people with the tools that they need to live independently.


Speaking today about their sponsorship of Norwich City Football Club, Richard Draper MBE said

“This is the most phenomenal event for The Benjamin Foundation – and not just because most of us who work here are life long City fans - but because of what this day will mean for the charity. We hope to raise much-needed funds by auctioning our special shirts and the executive box – and we really hope fans will support us by making donations this Saturday. But above all it gives us the most amazing opportunity to tell thousands of people about the needs of vulnerable young people in Norfolk and the work we do to support them.

“We’d like to thank Aviva and Norwich City Football Club for making this truly unique event possible.

Lee Sparkes, Sponsorship Manager for Aviva added: “A large part of our decision to become the Canaries’ sponsor was the opportunity it would give us to demonstrate our strong commitment to being an active part of the wider Norwich and Norfolk community including local charities. Aviva is proud to sponsor Norwich City, but especially pleased to be able to support the work of The Benjamin Foundation which does so much to help communities in Norfolk.

Pete Waters, Deputy Editor of the Eastern Daily Press said “The EDP has been delighted to work with Aviva on their very generous offer of giving up their sponsorship of Norwich City for a day.
"The Benjamin Foundation is a very worthy and deserving winner, providing invaluable support for young people desperately in need of help through no fault of their own."
Norwich City’s Community Ambassador Jeremy Goss said: “We are delighted to support Aviva in this initiative and through this show our support to The Benjamin Foundation and their worthy work with young people in the county.
“We hope everyone with The Benjamin Foundation has a fantastic day with us at Carrow Road.”