Wimbledon Foundation Partnership
Working together to support communities when disaster strikes.
The Wimbledon Foundation and the British Red Cross united in partnership in 2020 to provide critical support to communities affected by disasters and emergencies.
Together, we invested in the British Red Cross’ Hardship Fund, which provided nearly £4.5m in cash grants to vulnerable people during the Covid-19 crisis. Since then, the partnership has been a lifeline to many people in the UK and around the world, with the Wimbledon Foundation supporting the British Red Cross Disaster Fund and regularly donating gifts in kind to our service users and retail shops.
As the charity of an international sporting event, it is important to us that we are supporting people not just in our own local communities but also internationally, particularly in times of crisis.Bruce Weatherill, Chairman of the Wimbledon Foundation
We are proud to partner with the British Red Cross, who through their network of staff and volunteers have been working tirelessly to support individuals and communities whose lives and livelihoods have been severely impacted by COVID-19, conflict and emergencies around the world.
Mike Adamson, CEO of the British Red Cross, and Bruce Weatherill, chair of the Wimbledon Foundation, at the Wimbledon Foundation's annual reception
Supporting global communities during emergencies through the Disaster Fund
The Wimbledon Foundation’s support of the British Red Cross Disaster Fund enables us to provide immediate and flexible funding when an emergency strikes. We can then reach people in an emergency anywhere in the world without having to secure external financial support first.
Since our partnership began in March 2020, the Disaster Fund has disbursed millions to disasters internationally. This includes during our global Covid-19 response, the crisis in Sudan, the Pakistan floods and the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.
Providing new experiences for young refugees
In May 2023, the Wimbledon Foundation invited 13 young refugees and a family who have been supported by the British Red Cross to experience a day out at The All England Lawn Tennis Club. The participants enjoyed a private tennis lesson in the Indoor Tennis Centre, a tour around the Grounds and a visit to the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum. Content from the day was used in our partnership video shown on the large screen and in the queue at The Championships 2023.
We were thrilled to receive an invitation from the Wimbledon Foundation to take part in a professional tennis lesson and visit the All England Club. It was wonderful to see some of the young people we support get involved in the action, learn new skills and experience the best of Wimbledon. Many of the young people expressed their deepest appreciation for what proved to be an unforgettable experience!
Lorenzo Amorosino, Young refugee project coordinator
Responding to the crisis in Ukraine
The Wimbledon Foundation’s funding has helped the response efforts of the Ukrainian Red Cross, ICRC and IFRC in helping those affected by the crisis – including the provision of psychosocial support, hot food and drinks, and helping families stay connected.
The British Red Cross and The All England Lawn Tennis Club (AELTC) teamed up at the 2023 Wimbledon Championships to support refugees and offer a day out to remember. The AELTC donated 250+ tickets to the British Red Cross to give to displaced Ukrainians and other refugees supported by us. In addition, the AELTC donated £1 for every spectator who attended The Championships to the British Red Cross’ humanitarian work in Ukraine. The total raised was an incredible £532,651.
I am very grateful for the opportunity given to me by gifting the ticket. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.Liudmyla, supported by our Ukraine Project for Yorkshire
