24 February 2010
City makes a splash for Lord Mayor’s Appeal
Swimmers from across London are preparing to dive into action
this week (Friday 26 and Saturday 27 February) as they gather at
the Golden Lane Leisure Centre to raise money for this year’s Lord
Mayor’s Appeal, Pitch Perfect.
The City of London's annual charity event, City Dip, will be
opened by Lord Mayor Nick Anstee this Friday, 9am. A total of 45
entries have registered for this year’s fundraising swim, totalling
nearly 300 participants. The event begins with a City of London
primary schools relay.
The charities benefitting from this year’s Lord Mayor’s Appeal
are the Cricket Foundation and the London Symphony Orchestra. With
the money raised from the appeal, both organisations will be
bringing cricketing and musical opportunities to disadvantaged
young people in London's most challenging boroughs.
The Lord Mayor, Nick Anstee, said:
"The City Dip is a terrific event that brings together people
from across London for two inspirational charities have joined
forces under the banner of my Appeal to create Pitch Perfect.
"I am passionate about how sport and music can help to transform
the lives of young people for the better. The Cricket Foundation
and the London Symphony Orchestra both do fantastic work and I want
to thank all the City Dip participants for helping to support this
year’s Lord Mayor’s Appeal."
The City Dip is a 5,000 metre (three miles) swim, which can be
completed either by an individual or by a team of up to 6 people.
Every swimmer will receive a commemorative City Dip certificate and
medal.
Last year’s event raised a fantastic £25,000 and over £150,000
has been raised over the past six years.
The livery companies have also come out in force to raise money
for the Appeal, with the NeedleMakers, Basketmakers, and the
Worshipful Company of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators all
competing in this year’s Dip.
Ends
Notes for editors
Photos available on request from Friday afternoon
The Lord Mayor’s Appeal 2010 – Pitch
Perfect
This year, the London Symphony Orchestra and
the Cricket Foundation are the principal beneficiary charities of
The Lord Mayor’s Appeal. Through their educational programmes, both
organisations provide dynamic musical and cricketing opportunities
to young people in their schools and communities in London’s most
challenging boroughs. For more information about The Lord Mayor’s
Appeal 2010, to make a donation or to see the many ways in which
you could help the Appeal please visit:
www.thelordmayorsappeal.org
About the Lord Mayor of the City of
London
The Lord Mayor is head of the Square Mile’s City of London
authority for one year and the position is unpaid and apolitical.
It is an exceptionally demanding role. The Lord Mayor spends some
90 days abroad and addresses some 10,000 people face-to-face each
month (making around 800 speeches a year). The Lord Mayor
represents City businesses and helps the City Corporation advise
the Government of the day on what is needed to help the financial
services sector to function well. The Lord Mayor frequently travels
to represent the City; and travels overseas with the status of a
Cabinet Minister. On average, the Lord Mayor will meet one head of
state a month and will meet a prime minister or finance minister
each week to discuss financial services, often in conjunction with
senior City business representatives. The Lord Mayor, who is
unpaid, lives in the Mansion House for the Mayoral year.
About the City of London Corporation
The City of London Corporation is a uniquely diverse organisation.
It supports and promotes the City – the business district at the
heart of London - as a world leader in international finance and
business services and provides local services and policing for
those working in, living in and visiting the Square Mile. It also
provides valued services to London and the nation. These include
the Barbican Centre and the Guildhall School of Music & Drama;
the Guildhall Library and Art Gallery and London Metropolitan
Archive; a range of education provision (including three City
Academies); five Thames bridges (including Tower Bridge and the
Millennium Bridge); the Central Criminal Court at Old Bailey; over
10,000 acres of open spaces (including Hampstead Heath and Epping
Forest), and three wholesale food markets. It is also London’s Port
Health Authority and runs the Animal Reception Centre at Heathrow.
It works in partnership with neighbouring boroughs on the
regeneration of surrounding areas and the City Bridge Trust, which
it oversees, donates more than £15m to charity annually.
Press contacts
Sanjay Odedra, Press Officer, City of London Corporation
T: +44 (0)20 7332 1835 / M: +44 (0)7831 542 856
Email:
sanjay.odedra@cityoflondon.gov.uk
James Abbott, Press Officer, City of London Corporation
T: +44 (0)20 7332 1754 / M: +44 (0)7831 543 188
Email:
james.abbott@cityoflondon.gov.uk