History of the charity
SportsAid, previously known as SportsAid Foundation (SAF), was founded in 1976. Its principal function was to raise funds from the private sector to provide financial assistance to amateur sportsmen and women throughout Britain. The aim was to help these athletes to represent their country on the international stage against better-funded overseas competitors.
From 1983 to 1997, SportsAid was the major source of funding for most of Britain's leading athletes, both able-bodied and disabled. Then 1997 brought Lottery funding into British sport and a change to SportsAid's role; now focusing on the gaps that Lottery funding does not fill, as we do today.
SportsAid gives awards to young sportsmen and women from 45 able-bodied and 23 disability sports. They compete at national and international levels and the awards they receive from us - generally worth around £1,000 a year - help with essential costs such as travel, training, accommodation, competition fees and equipment.
Over four decades, SportsAid has donated more than £30 million to the future of British sport and by doing so has helped many of the country’s best known sports heroes to achieve their dreams. Read more about them in our Legends section.
Get involved
SportsAid is the pathway to greatness for young sports people nationwide. This is where the dreams start and where the young athletes progress and move on to the next level. SportsAid helps to take them to that next level, involving you in the success story.
