Sporting stars join elite squad

The region’s top athletes will gather in Suffolk next week to join an elite squad aimed at helping them bring more sporting honours to Ipswich.

The official launch of the Team Ipswich Elite Squad is a major step in the town’s bid to become the Gateway to the London Olympics in 2012 and to build up community sport at all levels.

Leading the campaign is swimming superstar Karen Pickering, who was appointed the town’s Sporting Ambassador earlier this year. Karen will join a dozen athletes, business leaders, councillors and sports administrators for this unique event at the Salthouse Harbour Hotel on Ipswich Waterfront on Monday 31st October from 10am to 11am.

It will be followed by a trip down the River Orwell on two racing yachts, courtesy of the Cirdan Trust, which helps young people, particularly those who are disadvantaged, be fulfilled by learning about team-working and personal development through the art of sailing.

The people who have already lent their backing to Team Ipswich is a "who’s who" of sport - Steve Cram, Daley Thompson, Sir Steve Redgrave, Alison Curbishley, Kevin Pietersen and Jamie Baulch to name but a few.

Steve Cram is in town in November to launch Team Ipswich’s Sports Foundation, which will raise the necessary resources. He said: "Sadly, there are many talented people throughout the country who miss the opportunity to excel in their chosen sport due to the unavoidable costs of things like equipment, coaching, travel and access to facilities. Initiatives such as the Ipswich Sports Foundation can make a real difference to these people and with it sport in this country. 

I support the Ipswich Sports Foundation wholeheartedly and everything it is trying to achieve."

The elite dozen sports people in the Elite Squad will enjoy a number of benefits from Team Ipswich membership, including free use of Borough Council sports facilities, free travel from Ipswich Buses, free travel to London on One railway trains, discounted massage, sports injury treatment and food, free Cineworld cinema tickets and free legal advice from Pretty’s solicitors.

Other businesses have rallied to the Team Ipswich banner, among them John Grose.

Karen Pickering said today: "As Sporting Ambassador, my job is to promote sport in Ipswich and to ensure the town has an important role to play in 2012. We have excellent facilities here like the Gymnastics centre, which has already played host to international teams. Team Ipswich is a huge concept – it is probably the most important sports campaign in the East of England. We want to ensure our elite and up and coming sports men and women are not held back by worries about resources and how they are to get to and from training. Team Ipswich, thanks to the generosity of its business partners and the Council, will see to that. The launch of the Elite Squad is a milestone event for Team Ipswich."

Councillor Judy Terry is portfolio-holder for Culture & Leisure on Ipswich Borough Council. She said: "We are committed to giving our athletes every assistance at whatever level they are participating at. The staging of the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics in London gives us a fantastic opportunity to promote both our town’s facilities and our people. We are grateful to our partners for their support: this has made it possible for Ipswich to lead the region forward. We are in the right place at the right time and have the determination to succeed."

For comment:

Councillor Terry, tel: 01473 210469

Councillor Richard Atkins, Liberal Democrat Group Leader, tel: 01473 255436

Councillor John Mowles, Labour Group spokesman, tel: 01473 725063

For interviews/further information:

IBC press office, tel: 01473 432031