Over the next four years, G4S Security Services (UK) – the ACS-registered specialist provider of security solutions to over 5,000 customers, including 41 of the FTSE 100 list – is to plough GB pound 1 million into British Judo by way of the G4S Youth Judo Programme.
Wednesday night’s official launch of the new programme at The Stanza Restaurant in London’s Shaftesbury Avenue follows hot-on-the-heels of London Mayor Boris Johnson’s promise of “tens of millions of pounds of London Development Agency money” being spent on coaching young people for long-term sporting success.
Discipline and self-control
The overriding intention of the Youth Judo Programme is to boost participation in the sport by providing the children of G4S’ employees with subsidised Judo lessons, and making contributions towards their kit, licensing and grading examinations. The hope is that the Programme will encourage children to become involved with sport and, through Judo, learn its core values of discipline and self-control while fostering physical fitness and a healthier lifestyle.
G4S’ substantial investment will also help grow the sport in the lead-up to the 2012 Olympic Games, at the same time supporting local Judo clubs (of which there are 850 spread across the UK).
The Programme is part of the wider G4S and British Judo Association (BJA) partnership that formed through the FTSE-British Olympic Association (BOA) Partnership Initiative. G4S is the first of the FTSE-BOA Partnership companies to proactively encourage involvement in their sport in a practical manner, and to push the ‘development of potential’ for London 2012.
Initiated by Lord Moynihan – chairman of the BOA – the intention is for the relationship to extend long-term in order to give it the very best opportunity of making a lasting difference to the BJA as it develops as a world class, autonomous organisation.
Influence of the FTSE companies
By dint of this latest initiative, G4S has joined some of Britain’s biggest companies in teaming up with Olympic sports to try and improve the way they are run. The scheme sees FTSE companies partnering a sport to try and help it become more professionally run.
Interviewed exclusively by Security Management Today’s (SMT) Editor Brian Sims at the launch, G4S’ UK managing director Doug Hewitson commented: “We’re embarking on this project for a number of reasons. First of all, it has a resonance with the individuals and families who work for the company. Judo teaches those who learn it the skills of self-control and discipline. These run in parallel with the commitment and engagement we need from our employees, and which they need from management.”
Hewitson continued: “Judo is a sport that’s spread widely throughout the UK. There are 850 or so clubs. In the lead-up to 2012, the BJA is very keen to generate a higher profile for the sport. With greater participation, there’s every chance we can win some medals at the Games.”
Transfer of business acumen
There are sound business reasons behind the Programme. Putting together top class FTSE companies boasting business acumen, first rate marketing skills and know-how with sporting sectors will allow the former to transfer their knowledge base and migrate learning such that the latter may run their operations that bit better.
Surely there must be deliverables for the project? “Yes. there are,” asserted Hewitson. “Over the next four years, we want to encourage 4,000 or more children to take up the sport of Judo. We’ll measure that take-up, and effectively sponsor the childrens’ examinations and gradings. The BOA is very keen to ensure that all Olympic sports have a long-term future. The legacy we can help build for the BJA centres on sound governance and administration, solid business processes and planning. It’s all about creating a sustainable platform for British Judo in the years ahead.”
View from the BJA
Also speaking at the launch event, Densign White – chairman of the BJA – said: “The French have over 5,000 Judo clubs and we have somewhere around 850. They win the medals! The social impact of our sport is important and, if we can engage the community we can perhaps make a difference in taking children and teenagers from the streets where the knife crime epidemic is currently having such a detrimental effect on our society and showing them that sport is not only good for their health but will also teach them useful values which they can adopt for the rest of their lives.”
White concluded: “We want to make a genuine difference through this Partnership, and we’re really looking forward to working with G4S leading up to the 2012 Games and beyond. Initiatives like this can only enhance our sport and ensure its future success.”
G4S plc has established partnerships in sport across a number of international markets. The company is a sponsor of Skandia Team GBR, the British sailing team that won six medals at the recent Beijing Games. G4S has also launched an innovative sports programme – designated G4S 4Teen – to support 14 aspiring young athletes from around the world such that they can be mentored by double Olympic gold medallist and global sporting icon Haile Gebrselassie.
For our exclusive ‘Out of Hours’ report on the launch event access the link on the right hand panel of this page.
