Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Nov 3, 2014: It was announced today that the British Olympic Association (BOA) has chosen Fight for Peace as one of its charity partners for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. With academies in London and Rio de Janeiro, Fight for Peace is a Non-governmental Organisation which combines boxing & martial arts with education and personal development in communities affected by crime and violence.
As part of their partnership and with the purpose of encouraging inspirational exchanges between Olympians, athletes, coaches and the young people at Fight for Peace, the British Olympic Association will provide expertise and counsel for Fight for Peace staff in the development of a sport performance programme with support of Team GB and its sporting partners.
The British Olympic Association will work with Fight for Peace to facilitate visits from Team GB athletes and training workshops for coaches at the Fight for Peace academies in London and Rio. In addition, Fight for Peace will support the British Olympic Association’s marketing campaign in the run up to Rio 2016 as they begin to build support for Team GB in the UK and in Rio.
Both organisations will also adopt a collaborative approach with the British Olympic Association’s youth engagement programme, Get Set; encouraging healthy, active lifestyles, communicating the Olympic Values and sharing content about preparations and plans for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The announcement was made following a sport performance workshop in Rio de Janeiro with Matt Holt (British Amateur Boxing Association) and Gary Henderson (British Judo) which was also attended by Bill Sweeney, CEO of the British Olympic Association.
During the session at Fight for Peace, Bill Sweeney, said:
“The BOA and Fight for Peace share a core belief – that sport can transform lives. This partnership will enable us to share expertise and resources, helping Fight for Peace to continue their great work and helping us to have a presence and voice in Rio as we prepare for the Games. We are looking forward to working with Luke and his team to ensure that Team GB has a positive impact in Rio and Brazil in the run up to, during and after the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.”
Luke Dowdney MBE, Founder of Fight for Peace, said:
“It is an honour and pleasure to be working with the British Olympic Association. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to have access to the expertise and talent within the organisation and we are really excited about the opportunities ahead. We believe that this partnership will add real value to the work that we already do at Fight for Peace as it will help to drive awareness of the charity and also help to improve our sport performance programme which plays a vital part in attracting young people to our Academies and away from an alternative life of crime and violence. “
About Fight for Peace:
• Fight for Peace was founded in 2000 in Rio de Janeiro by Luke Dowdney MBE, a former amateur boxer, with the aim of providing an alternative to the armed violence and drug trafficking that can affect young residents in favelas in Rio de Janeiro.
• In November 2007 the Fight for Peace London Academy was established in the borough of Newham in the build-up to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
• Fight for Peace supports 2,500 young people each year and is now advising a network of charities across the world on how to make similar frontline projects work successfully.
• By the end of 2015, Fight for Peace will have trained 91 organisations in our methodology in 25 countries, directly helping over 100,000 young people living in communities affected by gun crime around the world.
About the British Olympic Association:
The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its mission is to develop, promote and protect the Olympic Movement in our territory in accordance with the Olympic Charter. The BOA achieves this through:
• Working in partnership with our members and key stakeholders to deliver world-leading services and support to enable British athletes to reach their full potential at the Olympic Games, Olympic Winter Games and other IOC-sanctioned events
• Working in partnership with our members and key stakeholders to provide athletes with relevant support on the journey to, during and following their Olympic careers
• Engaging people throughout the United Kingdom to pursue their very own goals and dreams through the Olympic Values and the example of Team GB Olympians
• Being the independent voice of Olympic Sport and collaborating with our members and other sport stakeholders, both domestically and internationally, to support the continued growth and overall health of the Olympic Movement in the UK. —- By: Rob Fawdon
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