MUFG has announced a £100,000 donation to Laureus Sport for Good that will directly benefit two charity programmes in London. Street League and Fight for Peace will receive the funding and Laureus support over a two year period, as part of MUFG's Corporate Social Responsibility strategy to support disadvantaged young people in the local community.
The announcement was made at a launch event held on January 15th, attended Managing Executive Officer and Regional Executive for EMEA Takanori Sazaki, CEO of MUFG Securities EMEA, Head of UK MUFG Bank and Head of Global CIB EMEA John Winter, members of MUFG's senior management team, Laureus Sport for Good senior management, and special guest Paralympian, Laureus Academy Member and trustee of the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation Tanni Grey-Thompson.
This support for Street League and Fight for Peace comes at a time where 43% of young people in London are living in poverty and suffer from a lack of suitable housing, support and educational opportunities. Both charities use sports, such as martial arts or ball games, combined with education and personal development, to raise the aspirations of 16 to 25 year olds and help them develop key life and work skills. This aligns with MUFG's CSR objectives in EMEA and support Laureus's ethos of using the inspirational power of sport as a force for good. This will also give MUFG employees the opportunity to share their time, skills and knowledge, helping young people within their communities to overcome adversity and create a brighter future for themselves.
Zinab Aldaraji, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility EMEA, said:
“Laureus, Street League and Fight for Peace all use sport to make a real impact on the lives of young people, and we couldn't be happier to play a part in supporting their activities.
"As a global company, MUFG's CSR efforts and local community involvement is driven by the on the ground needs, and supporting these two programmes is where we have identified we can make the biggest difference."
Tanni Grey-Thompson, Laureus Academy Member and Laureus Sport for Good Trustee, said:
“At Laureus, we are hugely grateful to MUFG for their continued support. This generous donation will allow us to offer more support to two of our London-based charity partners and ultimately have a deeper impact on the lives of young people.
"Both Street League and Fight for Peace are incredible organisations who are changing young lives and delivering important work through the power of sport, and it gives us great pleasure to work with a corporate partner who values close relationships with the local community."