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G4S 4teen

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Fourteen teenagers with aspirations to be their countries’ best athletes are to be given support and encouragement to achieve their dreams through an exciting global G4S sponsorship initiative.

Following the merger of Group 4 and Securicor two years ago, the enlarged Group has been busy rebranding as G4S. The sponsorship of teenage athletes who live in its developing markets is seen as a natural extension of the brand building process, giving the company name a higher profile and generating pride in the company by its 470,000 employees.

It is also a way for G4S to give back to the community, not only by supporting gifted individuals but also by enlisting their help, alongside G4S employees, in assisting various projects.

The ambitious six-year sponsorship programme sees Fast Track, an independent UK sports marketing agency specialising in world class sponsorship programmes, working with G4S to identify the most suitable candidates, from:

For almost a year, an extensive selection process has been in progress, involving national Olympic committees and other sporting bodies, as well as local G4S managers.

Mike Davis, Fast Track senior account director, has been very much involved in the quest for future medal winners and record breakers in the chosen countries.

“Local G4S management were involved in the selection process, in some cases interviewing every candidate,” Mike Davis explains. “After all, each athlete selected will be an ambassador for the company.”

Jon Wyatt, Fast Track business director, adds, “The pinnacle of an athlete’s career is to compete in an Olympic Games, so we have selected those who compete in an Olympic sport and many national Olympic committees, as well as other sporting federations, have been extremely helpful in assisting us with the selection process across a great many sports. And we all hope that, one day, some of the G4S 4teen athletes will proudly take their place on an Olympic podium. That would be fantastic.”

The Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympics together with the New Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games are seen as focal points of the project. G4S 4teen will also link in with the Group’s sponsorship of Skandia Team GBR.

The exceptional youngsters will be in L ondon on 8 June to participate in the launch of the ambitious six-year sponsorship programme.

More information, including the full list of sports that will be represented and profiles of the young athletes can be found on G4S Partnerships with Sport
This page is an edited version of the article featured in the June 2007 edition of International.
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G4S 4teen Global Ambassador, Haile Gebrselassie
One of the world’s top athletes, Haile Gebrselassie has been appointed G4S 4teen’s global ambassador, a role which the record-breaking athlete relishes.

As mentor, he will visit the sponsored youngsters’ continents and give them constant support through e-mail dialogue, Internet blogs and other forms of communication.

There could be no finer role model for the young up-and-coming athletes. Gebrselassie, now 34, has been running for most of his life, having started – out of necessity – by jogging 10 kilometres each way to and from school. One of 10 children, he showed remarkable perseverance in overcoming the poverty of his childhood and the other obstacles that went hand in hand with his underprivileged existence.

Haile came to international prominence in the early 1990s, first in the World Junior Championships, where he won both the 5,000 and 10,000-metres. Soon after, he was smashing one world record after another. He has won two Olympic gold medals; in Atlanta in 1996 and Syndey in 2000.

He hopes to qualify to run at the Beijing Olympics next year and even in the London Olympics of 2012.

Debbie McGrath, G4S Director of Communications, was thrilled that an athlete of Haile Gebrselassie’s calibre had agreed to be G4S 4teen’s global ambassador.

“He fits the bill perfectly, being someone who excels at his sport and who displays the G4S values at a very high level. He resonates with everything we are expecting to achieve through this very special sponsorship.” she added.
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