Sports4all - 'sponsorship', swizz?

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

DD has brought home a letter to say that an olympic athlete is coming to school for a day. They will be doing activities and whole school assembly/motivational spealing type stuff. It's through Sports4all and they are supposed to get sponsored to do some sports stuff.

I am deeply suspicious. The school gets 60% of money raised and S4A gets the rest.
It's not a charity. Googling suggests they are iffy.
Looks to me like an employment agency for jobbing sportspeople.

Any experiences?

Yep. You've got it. Don't forget if you raise enough (about £15) you can having an amazing prize such as a swear band. Wow!

I may have to speak to the school, I'm a governor and I am really unhappy about it.

I will not be sponsoring a penny but I may give a donation direct to school funds

Acc to the website the fee is £300/500 for the visit? Our school's families are skint, I can barely see them getting any back after costs and their 40% slice.

The letter implies the sports4all sponsors athletes on their way to Rio. It sounds like actually they just employ them to give talks in schools and make ££. Really cross ATM.

I'm afraid I forget to send the sponsor form and money back for this. DDs said it was very Mickey Mouse doing a few activities and having your photo taken.

Once they got someone famous, the other time someone unheard off who smelt.

I've googled the athlete, they seem to be proper (though from a virtually unheard of sport)

It just smells like a massive con to me.

"an amazing prize such as a swear band. Wow!"

Sounds the perfect accessory for the child of a MNetter!

Oh no. I'm already a massive PITA at school pretends to care

Oh well.

I think that's who we had do a sponsored event for us last year. We had an athlete (not heard of him) who was excellent and my y2 Ds thought he was brilliant.

The way they incentivise by offering bigger and better goodies the more money you raise could've raised hackles I guess. But everyone had the chance to met and hear our athlete talk - and he sat for a photo with every child (free photo). So even if you didn't want to or couldn't afford to raise a thing they got the experience.

They went to several schools in the area and I think I heard they were well received (think it might've been different person lady runner oluruhwu????)

Should say I'm part of the PTA - although I didn't have much to do with the organising of that event. But we raised lots if money for the school despite the money that they make. Same if not more than usual for a sponsored event. But then we did it to coincide with Olympics so might've been more popular cos of that.

scaevola I noticed after I posted but thought it quite appropriate. Surprised no one else picked up on it.