Wimbledon collectables set for Covid charities
THE All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) has said it will donate the Wimbledon Championships balls and towels as part of its coronavirus charity efforts.
Wimbledon was this year cancelled for the first time since the Second World War.
Organisers have announced they will give 30,000 Slazenger balls to the Lawn Tennis Association’s (LTA) Play Your Way campaign aimed at encouraging people to get back on court.
About 25,000 Championships towels have been set aside for NGOs [non-government organisations] such as Crisis, a charity which helps the homeless.
“We are committed to using the collective strength of Wimbledon to provide help for those in need,” said Richard Lewis CBE, chief executive of the AELTC.
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “Generosity like this goes a long way, giving our clients a unique slice of history, and letting them know people are thinking of them.”
Meanwhile, the Wimbledon Foundation’s £1.2 million Coronavirus Fund continues to help support the vulnerable. While more than £300,000 was awarded to charities in Merton and Wandsworth, about £200,000 was donated to the London Community Foundation.
It also gave £150,000 to national charities such as the British Red Cross, the NHS Charities Together and The Royal Foundation.