The Initiative aims to guarantee long-term partnerships, sustainable and autonomous NGBs and as a result a strong sporting legacy in the UK. Each company benefits through internal staff development and motivation. Fifteen partnerships have already been announced and the three new companies are The John Lewis Partnership; Alliance & Leicester and Sainsbury’s.
The John Lewis Partnership will assist the British Equestrian Federation with a number of business projects, such as improving project management skills, advising on IT integration and consolidating existing databases including the National Equine Database. The British Equestrian Federation will help the John Lewis Partnership to understand how they develop world-beating individual and team performances.
British Swimming has entered into a partnership with Alliance & Leicester and one of the first projects is to develop British Swimming’s customer relationship management skills. To achieve this Alliance & Leicester’s Head of Customer Strategy and Information is sharing his specialist knowledge in database marketing and analytics. Alliance & Leicester staff will also have the opportunity to volunteer their help at various swimming and diving events to be held across the UK. One of the first of these events is the 9th FINA Swimming World Championships being held in Manchester
The British Table Tennis Federation (BTTF) will receive management advice on a range of organisational matters from Sainsbury's including advice on how to develop the community base and funding. Top table tennis players have already taken part in an internal event motivating Sainsbury’s staff to be more active.
Astra Zeneca is also supporting the FTSE-BOA Initiative via the secondment of Bev Salt, a Vice President with extensive general management and commercial experience, to lead the initiative for the BOA.
BOA Chairman Colin Moynihan said: “As a unique programme worldwide, I am delighted that the Initiative is continuing to reap benefits for national governing bodies and the major companies already partnered. I continue to believe that sport and business can learn from each other and that ultimately our goals are the same: performing to the highest possible level. It therefore makes perfect sense for the best of both worlds to partner each other.”
Mark Makepeace, Chief Executive of FTSE Group said: "FTSE is traditionally known for reflecting market performance through financial indices, so it's an interesting and rewarding change of direction to be involved with sporting performance, through the FTSE-BOA Initiative. Teaming the best of British sports with the best of British business is an innovative project, which will lead to enhanced performance for both the sporting bodies and the businesses involved in the Initiative."
The fifteen partnerships which have already been announced are: Corus - triathlon; Skandia - biathlon; British Gas - hockey; Land Securities - volleyball; GlaxoSmithKline - boxing; British Airways - snowsportGB; SAB Miller - fencing; Wolseley - gymnastics; Home Retail Group – badminton; Group 4 Securicor – judo; Standard Life Investments - archery; Experian - ice skating; Marks & Spencer - modern pentathlon; Accenture - sailing; O2 - taekwondo.
