L-R: Clare Balding MBE and Alice Arnold
Mintridge Foundation – the UK’s leading sports mentorship charity – has welcomed industry titans, Clare Balding CBE and Alice Arnold, to its team as Patrons.
Supporting Mintridge Foundation’s mission of enhancing life skills and wellbeing in young people through sports, the pair will bring their extensive sporting expertise to the charity and hope they can play their part in it achieving its ambitious 2023 goal of helping 15,000 school-aged children.
Harnessing the power of positive sporting role models, Mintridge Foundation provides school children across the country with long-term mentorship to nurture their talents and mental health through sport.
Now with Britain’s award-winning broadcaster, author and commentator, Clare Balding CBE and her wife – the British broadcaster and journalist, Alice Arnold – on the team, the charity has over 40 of the UK’s brightest sports stars on its roster of Patrons and Ambassadors, including Olympians, Paralympians and other professional sports stars from over 20 sports.
Looking forward to supporting The Mintridge Foundation’s growth, Clare Balding CBE, said: “We have long admired the work of Mintridge Foundation, so to be asked to become Patrons was really humbling for both Alice and me. We both feel hugely passionate about helping the next generation to realise their potential – whether that is in sports or not – and hope we can support young people across the country with Mintridge Foundation.
“Working alongside the Ambassadors and hearing about their own journeys has been illuminating for us, as well as the young people the charity supports. Alice and I are bigger believers in the power of sport and everyone being included, so can’t wait help deliver this in a much more holistic way through Mintridge Foundation.”
With almost a decade of experience bridging the gap between sports stars and young people, Mintridge Foundation has already helped over 75,000 children. From delivering school assemblies, coaching clinics and classroom sessions; through to long-term one-on-one mentoring: the charity has been using its tried-and-tested methods to raise aspirations across the UK since 2015.
Mintridge Foundation’s team of Ambassadors spans both team and individual sportspeople, and includes the likes of Shona McCallin MBE, Pamela Cookey, Patrick Foster and many more.
Together, they will work with young people in schools, clubs and academies across the UK to nurture raw talent, increase confidence and enhance life skills, alongside raising awareness about the importance of maintaining both mental and physical wellbeing.
Founder and Managing Director, Alex Wallace, commented: “To be able to share the news that Clare and Alice are coming on board is just staggering for me. Their years of experience and passion for our cause is the fire needed to be able to help make our small charity’s big ambitions possible!
“I was always asked who my ideal Patron would be and Clare Balding was always my response from day one. I can’t quite articulate how grateful I am. To have the backing and belief from two incredibly influential and inspiring women hasn’t quite sunk in yet, but I’m so very ready for us to help young people of all ages and backgrounds to develop confidence and resilience through sport with their support.”
Since its inception 2015, The Mintridge Foundation has supported 197 schools and clubs to deliver 400 bespoke programmes – all of which can be expertly tailored to suit a variety of requirements. To learn more about The Mintridge Foundation and its programmes, visit: https://www.mintridgefoundation.org.uk/.
