Funds will be allocated for football projects that bring young people with and without intellectual disabilities together

(21 February, 2008, Brussels, Belgium) – The Vodafone Group Foundation has announced that Special Olympics will receive £500,000 to fund a European sports project that will help young people with disabilities.

Special Olympics will receive its grant over a three-year period to fund Unified Football projects for young people between 14 and 25. The funds will be allocated to six countries: Belgium, France, Hungary, Romania, Turkey and the United Kingdom. The aim of Special Olympics Unified Sports is to break down social barriers between individuals with and without intellectual disabilities by bringing them together on teams for sports training and competition.

“The Special Olympics programme provides a fantastic supportive environment for fostering sporting opportunities for those with and without intellectual disabilities. Like Matthew, I am delighted that The Vodafone Group Foundation is backing this project. It has the ability to drive forward social change and attitudes,” said Dame Tanni Grey Thompson, adviser to The Vodafone Group Foundation.

Sir Matthew Pinsent CBE, an adviser to The Vodafone Group Foundation said: "The Vodafone Group Foundation has a record of backing sports projects worldwide and the Special Olympics will, I'm sure, be one of our best. As a four time Olympian myself I'm proud of the initiative and the opportunity it gives to so many people."

This Special Olympics project forms part of The Vodafone Group Foundation’s commitment to use sports and music to communicate with disadvantaged young people. Projects with Red Dust Role Models and UNICEF were announced in January 2008. All of these projects are designed to use sports to help young people develop important life skills.

“The support of The Vodafone Group Foundation for our Special Olympics Unified Football project is of enormous importance. All too often young people with intellectual disability are being discounted or excluded by their peers. When this happens, everyone loses. I am confident this partnership will significantly impact the lives of many young people, with and without intellectual disabilities on and off the football field. We want to thank The Vodafone Group Foundation for its support,” said Michael Smith, Managing Director, Special Olympics Europe/Eurasia.

“Sport is a universal language that crosses cultures and is a powerful tool for reaching out and communicating with disadvantaged young people. We are really proud to support the Special Olympics in helping to break down any barriers between those with and without intellectual disabilities through the funding of six Unified Football projects,” said Andrew Dunnett, Director, The Vodafone Group Foundation.

The Vodafone Group Foundation has invested over £100 million in projects since its creation in 2002 concentrating on disaster relief, helping disadvantaged children via sport and music initiatives and specific projects across Vodafone's 24 local Foundations worldwide.

The Vodafone Group Foundation (VGF) Trustees are interested in supporting the following areas where sport and music can make a contribution, including:

• Health: increasing awareness of HIV / Aids, tackling heart disease and obesity and promoting well being
• Education: improving behaviour, literacy and numeracy skills, cultivating citizenship
• Welfare: alleviating poverty and the development of sustainable economic activity.

During the course of the next three years the VGF will be seeking to make a financial contribution in the region of £12 million to charitable projects which have sport and music as their central theme. The VGF has funded a number of projects within this area through its local foundations and is keen to scale up this engagement and work collaboratively with others who have used sport and music to deliver some of the benefits outlined above.

About Special Olympics (www.specialolympics.org)

Special Olympics, founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, is the world’s largest year-round program of sports training and competitions for individuals with intellectual disabilities. More than 2.5 million athletes in over 165 countries train and compete in 30 Olympic-style summer and winter sports at local, national and international events. Through its sports programs, Special Olympics strives to provide long-term benefits to individuals’ health, self-esteem and social integration.

Special Olympics and Paralympics are two separate organizations recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Special Olympics provides sports opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities of all ability levels. Paralympics provides sports opportunities for elite-level athletes with disabilities.

For more information, contact:

Martha Jo Braycich, Communications Director, Special Olympics Europe/EurasiamjbraycichSOEE@compuserve.com

For further information, photography or access to spokespersons from The Vodafone Group Foundation, our partners and special advisers including Dame Tanni Grey Thompson and Sir Matthew Pinsent please contact:

Helen Brockett, Communications Manager, The Vodafone Group Foundation
+44 (0)7500 032886
helen.brockett@vodafone.com