BPA signs Sainsbury’s as sponsor through to Rio 2016 as momentum builds after London

The British Paralympic Association (BPA) have today announced that they have signed Sainsbury's as a commercial partner through to the end of 2016.

The announcement comes just five days after the closing of the London 2012 Paralympic Games where the ParalympicsGB team's performance captivated the nation.

Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of the BPA said: "I am delighted that Sainsbury's will be continuing its partnership with the BPA on the road to Rio. It demonstrates how successful our relationship has been through to London 2012 and sends a clear signal that the Paralympic movement in this country is a very attractive proposition for major companies. Our 2012-2017 Strategic Plan outlines our intention to build on the momentum coming out of the London 2012 Games for the benefit of the Paralympic movement in the UK and so to have this relationship in place so soon is fantastic".

Sainsbury's were the first Paralympic-only sponsor to sign up for London 2012. As part of this deal, they got rights of association with the ParalympicsGB team and have driven colleague engagement through a number of initiatives, such as the local Paralympian scheme which introduced stores to their local athletes. The team has also featured heavily in all their "above the line" activation, which has included sponsoring short form films on Channel 4, the host broadcaster of the 2012 Paralympic Games and in their advertising, which also featured their ambassador David Beckham.

Jat Sahota, Head of Sponsorship, Sainsbury's, commented: "The impact on our business of our London 2012 Paralympic sponsorship has been profound – from colleague engagement through to customers at the till point. This has been driven by the inspiration of the ParalympicsGB team. Now we want to build on that through to Rio, starting with the Sainsbury's Active Kids For All programme as well as our Sainsbury's School Games, both of which will drive inclusion at grass roots level".

Jane Jones, Director of Marketing and Communications, highlighted the benefits of the deal for the BPA: "To have a partner with the reach and customer base of Sainsbury's is an incredible opportunity for the BPA. To have them on board now, joining BT who signed in 2010 is a great start to the Rio cycle. Our ambition is to have a family of partners who share our values and want to help us drive the Paralympic movement here in the UK".