Sale of One Million Sainsbury’s Super Shopper Bags Raises £100,000 for the British Paralympic Association

With only 100 days to go until the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Sainsbury’s is proud to announce that over £100,000 has already been raised for the British Paralympic Association (BPA) from sales of Sainsbury’s Paralympic Super Shopper Bags.

The reusable bags, available from all Sainsbury's stores, have been a huge hit with customers with over one million already sold and the number set to increase ahead of the London 2012 Games, representing not only a phenomenal saving in disposable carrier bags, but also fantastic support for the BPA and the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

With 10 pence from the sale of every bag going to Sainsbury's London 2012 Paralympic Fund, Sainsbury's customers are actively contributing to support British Paralympic sport at this crucial home Games period.

Jat Sahota, Head of Sponsorship for Sainsbury's, commented: "It's fantastic to see so many of our shoppers and colleagues have been so supportive. I am very proud to announce the £100,000 raised so far for the BPA and hope that we continue in this rich vein of support as we get ever closer to the games."

Expressing his thanks, BPA CEO Tim Hollingsworth said: "We'd like to thank Sainsbury's and all their customers who have bought a Super Shopper Bag in support of the team. The money will go towards the crucial, final preparations to ensure we create the best environment for the athletes to achieve their lifetime best performances. We hope to make the nation proud and it's great to have support like this".

In addition, Sainsbury's is working closely with the BPA and its members and partners to create more opportunities for disabled children to increase their participation in PE and sport in schools, sports clubs and community groups through the existing Sainsbury's Active Kids scheme.

Notes to editors

Sainsbury's London 2012 Paralympic Fund

• Sainsbury's legacy plan will commit to creating more opportunities for disabled children to increase their participation in PE and sport in schools, sports clubs and community groups through our existing Active Kids scheme. In order to develop this legacy plan Sainsbury's is working closely with the British Paralympic Association (BPA), the National Federations of Disability Sport from each of the home countries as well as the Youth Sport Trust (YST) and Sport England (SE). Further details will be announced in due course. 

London 2012

• Sainsbury's is proud to be a Presenting Partner of the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay. Sainsbury's is committed to promoting a healthier, more active lifestyle for all, regardless of ability, and supporting the values of courage, determination, inspiration and equality on which the Paralympic Movement was founded. Sainsbury's will be using its partnership of the London 2012 Paralympic Torch Relay to engage and celebrate those who make a lasting difference in attitudes towards disability in the UK and create opportunities for change in disabled people's lives. Sainsbury's is the first ever Paralympic Games-only sponsor and this landmark commitment to the Paralympic Movement is the largest sponsorship ever of a Paralympic Games.

Active Kids

• David Beckham and Ellie Simmonds are ambassadors to Sainsbury's Active Kids campaign.
• Sainsbury's Active Kids was launched in February 2005, in response to growing concerns around children's activity and obesity levels.
• Active Kids has donated over £115 million worth of equipment and experiences to nurseries, schools, Scout and Guide groups, and Clubmark accredited sports clubs (or acceptable equivalent), can exchange for a variety of sports and activity equipment and experiences. 

Get Set

• Get Set is the official London 2012 education programme for schools and colleges across theUK. It provides free learning resources for 3-19 year olds to find out more about the Games and explore the Olympic Values of excellence, friendship and respect, and the Paralympic Values of determination, inspiration, courage and equality. It also offers access to exciting prizes and opportunities through participation in competitions and partner programmes. There are over 17,000 schools and colleges registered with Get Set.
• Sainsbury's 1 Million Kids Challenge is part of Get Set + and is featured within the Paralympic Games theme.
• The Get Set network is the London 2012 reward and recognition scheme for the active community of schools and colleges across theUKthat are demonstrating a commitment to living the Olympic and Paralympic Values. Members of the network gain the right to use the London 2012 education logo, and are given priority access to the most exclusive prizes and opportunities. There are currently over 2000 members of the Get Set network.
• All schools participating in Sainsbury's 1 Million Kids Challenge are eligible to receive even greater reward and recognition from London 2012 by joining the Get Set network.
• Visit www.london2012.com/getset for more information