Held from 17 May to 8 July, ‘The People’s Podium’, SPAR UK’s campaign in support of community sport, generated a lot of interest. Hundreds of proposals were received from around the country, nominating individuals involved with incredible local sports projects. The jury had a tough time selecting the four individuals who each won £2,000 to support their projects and who were in the running for the grand prize of £10,000.

In each case, consideration was given to the significance of the project for that community, the impact the individual made to the success and how many people had been supported during the project’s lifespan.

With over 2,600 stores across the country, it comes as no surprise to learn that SPAR is at the heart of many communities in the UK. Through sponsorship regionally, locally and nationally of a wide variety of charities and sports, the brand has become closely aligned to community initiatives over the years, particularly with athletics because of the partnership with UKA.

The community sports initiatives crossed a variety of different sports with the winner of the grand prize of £10,000 announced as Gymnastics Coach, Mike Briggs, from the region of Dumfries in Scotland. Mike worked his way up the rankings, from volunteering at the club when his daughter started to becoming Head Coach. SPAR recognised his incredible achievement in taking the Dumfries Y Gymnastics Club to different heights and how he intends to grow it further.

The grand prize was presented to Mike during the Muller Anniversary Games at the London Stadium. Like world-class athletes, he and three of the other winners took their place on a podium in the stadium and received VIP treatment in SPAR’s hospitality box at the Games.

Debbie Robinson, SPAR UK Managing Director, said on the occasion: “SPAR is at the heart of the communities it serves, and the People’s Podium campaign has been a brilliant way for us to show our appreciation for the incredible individuals supporting grassroots sport. Participation in sport helps create healthy, happy lives and brings communities together. We hope the People’s Podium campaign will encourage more people in the UK to get behind sports projects in their area and ultimately lead to stronger communities.”

The support for athletes by SPAR is also reflected in the partnership with the Glasgow 2018 European Championships as exclusive cross-event partner, building on the sponsorship of the European Athletics Championships taking place simultaneously in Berlin.

Source: SPAR UK

About SPAR UK

The United Kingdom (UK) became a member of SPAR in 1956 when a group of independent wholesalers obtained the SPAR licence from SPAR International. There are five regional partners with strategically placed Distribution Centres in each region. A Central Office located in London provides national Marketing and Buying services for the group and supports the development of the SPAR Brand in the UK.