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Flutter’s UKI Division commits c.£8m to charitable causes in 2023
Paddy Power, Sky Betting and Gaming, and Betfair have all announced new funding campaigns
Additional funds of £250,000 have been raised for charity at events hosted by Flutter UKI
Flutter is proud to announce that its UK and Ireland division has committed up to £8 million to charitable initiatives this year, with its three key brands – Paddy Power, Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG) and Betfair – announcing new partnerships in recent weeks. A further £250,000 has been raised through fundraising events for its two Charities of the Year.
This activity forms part of Flutter’s wider global pledge to Do More for the communities in which it operates as part of the Group’s sustainability strategy – the Positive Impact Plan. The goal of Do More is to improve the lives of 10 million people by 2030, leveraging Flutter’s scale and the collective passion of its colleagues across three main areas of Sport & Play, Health and Wellbeing, and Tech4Good.
On Monday, in its own distinctive style, Paddy Power announced that it will be donating up to £1 million to Prostate Cancer UK as part of its lead sponsorship of the 2023 PDC World Darts Championship, which begins this month. The brand pledged to donate £1,000 for every 180 hit during the tournament and with 901 maximums scored during last year’s tournament, it is hoped that record will be smashed this year, meaning a possible £1 million donation to Prostate Cancer UK – a transformative sum for the charity that will ultimately save lives. In addition, the bookmaker and the PDC will join forces and use all their channels to encourage 180,000 fans, followers and customers in the UK to use Prostate Cancer UK’s online risk checker via prostatecanceruk.org/180-risk
This follows shortly after the launch of Betfair’s ‘Serial Winners Fund’ last month, in conjunction with Betfair ambassador and legendary jockey, Rachel Blackmore. The campaign will see Betfair support both the Injured Jockeys Fund and the Irish Injured Jockeys with an initial donation of £100,000, with a further £5,000 for every winner Blackmore rides between Betfair Chase Day and the Randox Grand National. This is likely to total a £250,000 donation, split equally between the two charities.
Earlier in November, Sky Bet launched its £6 million ‘Building Foundations Fund’ in partnership with the English Football League (EFL). This fund represents the largest multi-year, sponsor-backed fund that is dedicated solely to community activity and will give the 72 EFL clubs a chance to bid for grants of up to £100,000 to invest in ongoing programmes or to develop new initiatives. Sky Bet will invest £1 million per year into the Fund starting from the current 2023/2024 season.
Ian Brown, CEO of Flutter UKI, said: “I am really proud of the progress the UKI division has made this year to Do More for our communities as part of Flutter Group’s Positive Impact Plan. Our market-leading brands have each launched creative and impactful campaigns that directly support the causes that are close to our customers and our colleagues. Across Flutter, we hold ourselves to the highest standards in the industry, and we are passionate about making a lasting positive impact.”
Flutter also held its inaugural Charity Ball in Dublin in September in support of BUMBLEance, the Children’s Ambulance Service of Ireland, and its Annual Charity Gala in Leeds in November in support of the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund in Yorkshire. Flutter UKI donated £240,000 between the two charities and raised a further £250,000 across both events. Meanwhile, other donations across the year totalled £330,000, which included the re-launch of Cash4Clubs which provides small grants to local community sports clubs across the UK and Ireland.
Positive Impact Plan:
As part of Flutter’s Positive Impact Plan, we have set an ambitious goal to positively impact the lives of 10 million people by 2030. This initiative is aligned with our focus on sports, technology, health, and well-being and our aim is to create long-lasting, positive change in the communities we support.