Welcoming Princes Gate as sponsors of our Young Sporting Hero U13 Award

While celebrating the remarkable achievements of children and young people across Wales, the Child of Wales Awards is proud to partner with organisations that share our commitment to empowering, recognising, and rewarding young people for their outstanding sporting achievements.

One such partner is Princes Gate, whose support and dedication play a crucial role in honouring the young sporting heroes under the age of 13.

Join us as we shine a spotlight on Princes Gate and their invaluable contribution as a sponsor of the Young Sporting Hero U13 category of the Child of Wales Awards 2024.

About Princes Gate – sponsor of Young Sporting Hero U13

Princes Gate’s mineral water is sourced from natural springs located in the Pembrokeshire countryside. Princes Gate is known for its commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility, using recyclable packaging and supporting local initiatives. The company produces still and sparkling water, and its products are available in various retail outlets across the UK and internationally.

Princes Gate is also known for its commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and supporting youth development through sports. Its sponsorship of the Young Sporting Hero U13 category reflects its dedication to recognising and celebrating the exceptional talents of young athletes across Wales.

Through its partnership with us, here at the Child of Wales Awards, Princes Gate demonstrates its commitment to empowering young athletes and promoting the importance of sportsmanship, dedication, and perseverance. This support enables us to highlight the achievements of these young sporting heroes, amplify our reach, and support our mission, for which we are deeply grateful.

Sam Atkinson, Head of Sales & Marketing, said:

“At Princes Gate Mineral Water, we are honoured to be supporting the Child of Wales Awards. Supporting and encouraging children from across Wales to achieve their goals has always been close to our hearts and so to be involved in such a special, inspiring event is truly a privilege.”

“We are immensely proud to be sponsoring and celebrating the Young Sporting Hero (Under 13) at the Child of Wales Awards. We would like to congratulate every nominee, you are all winners in our eyes.”

Blanche Sainsbury, Founder of the Child of Wales Awards, added:

“We are deeply grateful for the generous support of Princes Gate. Its dedication to promoting youth development through sports aligns perfectly with the ethos of the Child of Wales Awards. Through their sponsorship, we can celebrate the achievements of young athletes and inspire others to pursue their passions.”

As we celebrate the partnership between Princes Gate and the Child of Wales Awards, we are reminded of the importance of supporting and celebrating the achievements of young athletes. Together, we continue to uplift and celebrate the incredible talents and achievements of children and young people across Wales. We look forward to continuing our journey of impact and inspiration with Princes Gate by our side.

This past Thursday (April 4, 2024), we hosted our yearly sponsors breakfast at The Welsh House restaurant in Swansea Marina. We were thrilled to see all our fantastic sponsors under one roof; it was the perfect opportunity for our sponsors to hear about what lies in store for the 2024 awards and get to know fellow sponsors. 

Our founder Blanche Sainsbury delivered a great presentation detailing the plans for the awards and the instrumental roles our sponsors play throughout – making sure to thank each of our partners for their generous and continued support. 

Our sponsors are: Ascona Group, Bluestone, Blue Tiger, Budget Carpets, Commonwealth Games Wales Castell Howell Foods, DIY Kitchens, Gower College, Forrest Print, Mrs Buckét, Owens Group, Princes Gate, Trade Centre Wales, Thomas Carroll, Route Media, Swansea Bulding Society and Westacres.  

Pepe Hart, an award-winning head teacher and our very own Advisor, also spoke at the event, explaining her role as chair of the judges. She also offered an insight into some of the incredible nominations received so far. The full list of judges will be revealed in due course. 

The morning also allowed our sponsors to hear first-hand about the amazing charities they will be helping, through sponsoring the Child of Wales Awards 2024 – 2 Wish and Joseph’s Smile. 

2 Wish was founded by Rhian Mannings MBE, following the tragic passing of her son George and husband Paul within days of each other. Driven by her personal loss, Rhian established 2 Wish with a powerful goal: to make sure that every family in Wales facing the sudden loss of a child or young adult gets the unwavering support they truly need. Through this remarkable charity’s work, Rhian has turned her own pain into a beacon of hope for others in their darkest times. 

Joseph’s Smile was established in memory of Joseph Yeandle, who bravely battled stage four neuroblastoma before passing away in December 2021. The charity’s mission is to help lift the heavy financial burdens that families encounter throughout their child’s journey with illness. By supplying essential funds for medical treatments and equipment that aren’t accessible through the NHS, the charity ensures that families can dedicate their energy to cherishing every precious moment together. Joseph’s smile helps families every day – taking away the burden of extra fundraising while navigating their child’s care. 

Rhian Mannings MBE, Founder of 2 Wish, and Katy Yeandle, Founder of Joseph’s Smile, both delivered deeply moving speeches. They spoke from the heart about the personal journeys that led them to establish their charities, the meaningful work they carry out, and the profound, life-changing difference their organisations make for those in need of support. 

It was a powerful moment of connection, where sponsors could see the tangible difference, their involvement would make in the lives of families facing the illness or loss of a loved one.

The countdown has begun for the most anticipated event of the year, celebrating the youth of Wales – the Child of Wales Awards 2024. Scheduled to take place at the prestigious Swansea Arena on September 27th, 2024, this event promises to be a night of celebration, recognition, and inspiration. Making the event possible are the sponsors and partners who have generously come forward to support and uplift the young champions of Wales.

Headline Sponsor: Trade Centre Wales

Leading the charge as the headline sponsor for the Child of Wales Awards 2024 is Trade Centre Wales. With a commitment to community engagement and youth empowerment, Trade Centre Wales stands tall as a beacon of support for the next generation of Welsh leaders and achievers.

Event Partners: Blue Tiger and DIY Kitchens

Our other major event partners are Blue Tiger and DIY Kitchens. Their collaboration underscores a shared vision of recognising and rewarding excellence among the youth of Wales. Through their invaluable support, Blue Tiger and DIY Kitchens contribute to making the Child of Wales Awards 2024 a resounding success.

Category Sponsors:

• Ascona Group: Bravery Award & Courageous Family
• Thomas Carroll: Young Fundraiser
• Swansea Building Society: Community Champion
• Gower College: Outstanding Charity
• Princes Gate: Young Sporting Hero U13
• Commonwealth Games Wales: Young Sporting Hero Over 13
• Westacres: Child of Courage U13
• Mrs Bucket: Young Leader
• Bluestone National Park Resorts: Environmental Champion
• Owens Group: Young Carer

Each of these esteemed sponsors has dedicated themselves to recognising and honouring the remarkable achievements and contributions of young individuals across various categories. Their support amplifies the impact of the Child of Wales Awards, inspiring countless others to strive for greatness.

Media sponsors:

• Forrest Print: Print Sponsor
• Route Media: Outdoor Media Partner

In addition to the category sponsors, the Child of Wales Awards 2024 is further bolstered by the support of Forrest Print and Route Media. Their contributions in print and outdoor media respectively play a crucial role in spreading awareness about the event and celebrating the extraordinary stories of Welsh youth.

Winners support package: Budget Carpets

Budget Carpets sponsorship will ensure that the winners – and their guardians – are able to enjoy the awards night to the maximum, with the full VIP treatment they so richly deserve. 

As the anticipation builds and the date draws nearer, the Child of Wales Awards 2024 shines brightly as a testament to the collective spirit of generosity, compassion, and solidarity within the Welsh business and wider communities. Together, with the unwavering support of our sponsors and partners, we look forward to a memorable evening dedicated to honouring the champions of tomorrow.

If your organisation would like to become a part of the event, we have one category sponsorship left to fill, please contact blanch@childofbritain.com for more information.

To nominate an extraordinary young person, visit our nominations page here.

Lily Rice

Young Sporting Hero, sponsored by: Princes Gate

This award was designed to recognise achievements in sport, music, visual and performing arts despite disability.

A remarkable athlete, Lily was swimming at Welsh level in Paralympic trials when she was just 12 years old. She then discovered Wheelchair Motocross. Six months after she started participating in the sport, Lily became the first person in Europe and the youngest person ever to perform a wheelchair backflip. Lily has since won several titles, including Gold in the German Open and she became Women’s World Champion in 2019.

Endaf Edwards, General Manager of Princes Gate, said:

“We are delighted to be supporting the Child of Wales Awards. Over the years, we have had the pleasure of working with and supporting children across Wales from different backgrounds with different needs.

“When we heard that Bluestone and The Bluestone Foundation were developing an awards evening celebrating the lives and accomplishments of children, many of whom have overcome so much to reach their goals, it was the easiest decision to be involved.

“We are lucky enough to have some great Welsh sporting partnerships, and are thrilled and privileged to be sponsoring the Young Sporting Hero category.”

The Child of Wales Awards, an event that celebrates the inspirational achievements of children across Wales, has thanked its sponsors for their continued support, which has allowed it to make a substantial donation to charity now, despite its annual event being delayed due to the coronavirus.

The event, originally due to take place in the Celtic Manor on April 3, 2020, will now go ahead on April 9, 2021, after originally being rescheduled for the autumn. The event will also release a video celebrating the achievements of some of the children nominated for awards this autumn.

The Child of Wales will donate £5,000 to each of the charities it is raising money for in recognition of the challenging times they are enduring as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown. Its charities are: Teenage Cancer Trust, Dreams & Wishes and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC).

The Child of Wales is backed by Bluestone National Park Resort, Trade Centre Wales and Bidfood. The category sponsors are: 1192 Laser & Beauty Clinic, Acuity Law, Andrew Rees & Sons Butchers, Barclays, Bibendum Wine, Castell Howell Foods, DWJ Group, DWJ Wealth Management, Gower College Swansea, Iceland Foods, Joe’s Ice Cream, MGY, Mitre Linen, Princes Gate, Principality Building Society, RedKite Solicitors, Sytner BMW and Thomas Recruitment Group.

A number of other companies are helping fund the support packages for the winners, funding their stay at the Celtic Manor and Bluestone. These are: Penguin Recruitment, AB Glass, Work Wales, Gallagher, Seren Global Media, Holder Mathias Architects, Blue Tiger Marketing, Bullock, Storm technologies and MyConcern.

The Child of Wales will also unveil a small number of new awards this autumn, designed to recognise the contribution of young people in Wales who have gone the extra mile for their friends, relatives and their local community in the context of the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown.

Blanche Sainsbury, the founder of the event, said: “We would, once again, like to thank all of our sponsors, supporters and stakeholders for their continued support during these unprecedented times. It means a lot to us, the charities we are supporting and the children and young people whose lives and achievements we will celebrate. It gives us all hope and something to look forward to in the midst of uncertainty. But in the context of the pandemic and limitations on social gatherings, we have had to map the best way forward for the Child of Wales Awards.

“We have done this in the context of government guidelines and scientific advice and in the best interests of everyone involved in Child of Wales. But we are also still determined to create some magic and offer joy and happiness to individuals – the purpose of Child of Wales. When the event eventually does go ahead next year, we promise the long wait will be worth it – the evening will be amazing. We intend to finally deliver what we started and what so many people have worked so hard to make a very special event.

“Meanwhile, we are acutely aware of the challenges many charities have faced as a result of lockdown and restrictions on society. The delay of our event has limited our ability to fundraise but in light of the funding challenges many charities are facing, we will be presenting our charities with £5,000 each immediately. We hope this will help them through these difficult times. We again thank our sponsors for their continued support, which has made this possible.

“In addition to this, because we did not want to keep our amazing young people waiting that long before their achievements could be recognised, we also have a special surprise in store.

“We will be contacting all our young award winners over the next few months to tell them they have won and give them some very special surprises. We plan to then release a video of celebration, on the original date of the rescheduled awards on October 30.

“Finally, we will be adding a small number of new awards designed to celebrate the bravery and community spirit of Wales’ young people during the pandemic and through lockdown. If anyone is interested in working with us on these or sponsoring then, please get in touch.”

A bespoke design by acclaimed international fashion designer Jayne Pierson, the use of a super yacht for three days and a box at the Royal Albert Hall are just some of the prizes that will be available at the National Children of Wales Awards thanks to the generosity of the business community.

The National Children of Wales Awards will take place at the Celtic Manor on April 3, 2020. The organisers aim to raise £100,000 at the event, which will be distributed to four charities in Wales that help children: The Teenage Cancer Trust, Dreams & Wishes, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) and the Bluestone Foundation.

The event has already attracted remarkable support from the business community with all award categories now sponsored for the evening – though opportunities remain for businesses to get involved by supporting other aspects of the event.

The event’s two main sponsors are The Trade Centre Wales, one of the largest and fastest growing used car companies in the UK, and Bidfood, one of the largest food wholesalers in the UK.

The category sponsors are: 1192 Laser & Beauty Clinic, Andrew Rees & Sons Butchers, Barclays, Bibendum Wine, DWJ Group, DWJ Wealth Management, Gower College Swansea, Iceland Foods, Joe’s Ice Cream, MGY, Mitre Linen, Princes Gate, Principality Building Society, RedKite Solicitors, Sytner BMW and Thomas Recruitment Group.

But the event hopes to add even more extraordinary auction prizes to the roster – giving it every chance of exceeding its £100,000 target for the evening.

Blanche Sainsbury, chair of the Bluestone National Park Resort and founder of the National Children of Wales Awards, said:

“Companies from across Wales have demonstarted remarkable generosity in their support for the inaugural National Children of Wales Awards through both backing the event as sponsors and by offering some extraordinary auction prizes. We have been blown away by the support for this event so far and we are delighted to still be speaking to a number of businesses and individuals about additional prices and sponsorship opportunities.”

Some 15 children will be recognised at the awards. The categories focus on diversity, bravery, sporting achievements, and will recognise children who help others through championing causes, caring and fundraising.

The prestigious event will feature male voice choir Only Men Aloud, the winners of BBC talent show Last Choir Standing; Angelicus Celtis, a choir of Welsh schoolgirls who reached the semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent in 2017; and the event will also feature performances from Motionhouse, a world-class dance-circus production company.

Anyone interested in sponsoring the awards, buying a table or donating an auction prize, please contact Mark Hillary at: mhillary@bluestonewales.com

We are thrilled to announce that Princes Gate is sponsoring the Young Sporting Hero award at the inaugural National Children of Wales Awards.

Princes Gate was established in 1991, on an organic farm in a remote corner of Pembrokeshire, with David and Glyn Jones and their parents bottling Princes Gate water by hand. The natural spring water came from the beautiful Preseli Mountains, and still does to this day.

In 2004, the demand for Princes Gate water began to increase dramatically, and eventually every farm outhouse and converted barn was full to bursting with staff and stock. The microplant couldn’t cope, so plans had to be made for a fully-fledged bottling plant.

In 2008, Princes Gate partnered with the Welsh Rugby Union – a partnership which has lasted over a decade. The company has also partnered with other sporting bodies, including Cardiff City FC and the Scarlets.

The environment is especially important to Princes Gate, and it is committed to reducing its environmental impact. It reduced the weight of its bottles, allowing it to save over 250 million grams of plastic every year and a huge amount of energy used in transportation.

Princes Gate also replaced its diesel generators with 3-phase electricity, and purchased a £1.5m bottle blower, which has dramatically reduced its raw material PET truckloads from 1,000 to just 50 per year.

Princes Gate is also the first soft drinks manufacturer in the UK to become completely self-sufficient due to its investment in a wind turbine and solar panels. This earned it a royal visit from The Queen, who praised its eco-friendly efforts.

Last year, Princes Gate was one of the first bottled water companies to start using recycled plastic from within the UK in its bottles. Now, it uses a minimum of 51 percent recycled plastic across its whole range. This has helped the company to minimise its carbon footprint and reduce waste.

Of its involvement with the National Children of Wales Awards, Endaf Edwards, general manager, said:

“We are delighted to be supporting the National Children of Wales Awards. Over the years, we have had the pleasure working with and supporting children across Wales from different backgrounds with different needs.

“When we heard that Bluestone and The Bluestone Foundation were developing an awards evening celebrating the lives and accomplishments of our children, many of whom have overcome so much to reach their goals, it was the easiest decision to be involved.

“We are lucky enough to have some great Welsh sporting partnerships and are thrilled and privileged to be sponsoring the Young Sporting Hero category. All the best to each and every nominee, they are all truly inspiring.”