1 JUNE 2011.  At a Ceremony last Friday at the legendary Leander Club, Henley‑on‑Thames the Jaguar Academy of Sport presented 50 young athletes, representing the next generation of British sporting talent, with their Jaguar Academy of Sport Bursary Awards.  The Bursary Fund is at the core of the Jaguar Academy of Sport which recognises, celebrates and inspires the best of British sporting talent and success. 

The 50 athletes were chosen after a rigourous selection process conducted by SportsAid, which administers the Bursary Fund on behalf of the Jaguar Academy. The Patrons and Ambassadors of the Jaguar Academy of Sport, some of the nation's most successful sportsmen and women including David Beckham, Sir Chris Hoy and Jessica Ennis, were all integral to this process.

The athletes have been drawn from all over the country, representing a total of 36 sporting disciplines ranging from athletics and cycling through to fencing and modern pentathlon. This is the second year that the Academy of Sport has supported a unique set of Rising Stars and it has so far donated over £200,000 to inspire the next generation of British champions ‑ making a tangible difference to the future of British sport.

The Jaguar Academy of Sport has been established with the intention of not just providing funding to the next generation, but also nurturing and inspiring them.  A Mentoring and Education Programme provides all the Rising Stars with the non‑financial support they need in order to be successful. This support is provided through a selection of workshops and talent days focusing on key areas that will help young athletes move from talented to elite.

The Rising Stars wasted no time in engaging with the programme, as they attended their first talent day hosted by Dame Kelly Holmes and were also presented with their bursary cheques and certificates. Leander Club's most famous and successful member, Sir Steve Redgrave then provided the Rising Stars with a master class and some advice on how to be successful within the sporting arena. An unforgettable day for the Rising Stars was attended by a number of our other Patrons & Ambassadors including Denise Lewis, Gareth Edwards, Jamie Baulch, Colin Jackson and Tim Henman, all there to help inspire this new generation.

Geoff Cousins, Managing Director, Jaguar UK stated:  "We are delighted to be announcing our second group of Rising Stars and very excited that the Jaguar Academy of Sport is moving into its second year. Jaguar is dedicated to supporting Britain's next generation of sporting talent and I look forward to seeing their progress over the coming year."

Sir Steve Redgrave commented: "It has been great to be here today at the Leander Club, where I used to train and prepared for four of my Olympic Games, with such promising young sporting talent. I feel very privileged to be able to pass on some advice through sharing experiences over my professional career and hopefully I have provided them with some inspiration to go on and be as successful as possible and achieve their goals."

Dame Kelly Holmes commented: "It is great to once again see so much sporting talent in one room and a real pleasure to be working with the 2011 Rising Stars. The Mentoring and Education Programme which is provided to the Jaguar Academy of Sport Rising Stars is truly unique to the initiative and a great support alongside the bursary."

‑ ENDS ‑

Notes to Editors

Website: www.jaguaracademyofsport.co.uk

For further information about Jaguar Academy of Sport please contact:

Carla McAlpine : E: carla@influenceltd.com  , T: 0207 2879610

About The Jaguar Academy of Sport

The Jaguar Academy of Sport, launched in March 2010, recognises, celebrates and inspires the very best of British sporting talent and success. It will fulfill this aim through a Bursary Fund, which will support new British sporting talent, as well as a prestigious annual Awards Ceremony. The Academy is a unique club of the best of British sport, which will be used to inspire the next generation. For more information visitwww.jaguaracademyofsport.co.uk

Jaguar Academy of Sport Patrons

David Beckham OBE, Sir Ian Botham, Gareth Edwards CBE, Dame Kelly Holmes DBE, MBE, Denise Lewis OBE, Sir Steve Redgrave

Jaguar Academy of Sport Ambassadors

Jamie Baulch, Dave Brailsford CBE, Martin Brundle, Tasha Danvers, Jessica Ennis, Mark Foster, Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard MBE, Tim Henman, Sir Chris Hoy, Colin Jackson CBE, Barry McGuigan, Ian Poulter, David Roberts CBE, Andrew Strauss, Michael Vaughn OBE, Lee Westwood, Shane Williams

About SportsAid

For more information please call Breege Zachary at SportsAid on 020 7273 1978.

• SportsAid helps talented young disabled and able‑bodied athletes to achieve their dreams. Since 1976, the charity has distributed more than £30 million to aspiring young athletes throughout the UK and now distributes around 2,000 awards a year.
• Many of the athletes supported by SportsAid go on to achieve international success. For example, 18 of the 19 gold medals won by Team GB at the 2008 Olympics went to SportsAid athletes; and more than a third of Team GB's 42 gold medals at the 2008 Paralympics were won by SportsAid athletes.
• By working with the national governing bodies of nearly 70 different sports to identify and support the athletes who show the greatest potential, SportsAid helps the right athletes at the right time.
• SportsAid manages the Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme (TASS) on behalf of UK Sport, distributing TASS funding to athletes who are continuing their education. Since 2004, SportsAid has distributed over £24 million of TASS funding.
• SportsAid is a registered charity no.1111612. For more information visit www.sportsaid.org.uk

 Jaguar Academy of Sport 2011 Rising Stars