The charity, which was set up in 2016 from funds raised by the sale of nude calendars, receives generous donation from Lycett; comedian admitted he didn’t shred the cash, which was a stunt to draw attention to David Beckham’s multi-million pound ambassadorial deal with tournament hosts Qatar, where homosexuality is illegal…
Sport Allies have welcomed a £5,000 donation from Joe Lycett following the comedian’s announcement he did not shred £10,000 in cash in a protest against David Beckham’s ambassadorial deal with the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
The small charity dedicated to inclusion in sport, which was established six years ago to help break down gender stereotypes and combat hypermasculinity, confirmed itself on Tuesday as one of the beneficiaries of Lycett’s stunt.
In its social media posts, Sport Allies said: “We could not be more proud of Joe for making this powerful stand, or more humbled that he chose to make us part of this incredible story.”
Lycett also tweeted to say Stonewall, which runs the Rainbow Laces campaign, was the other charity he had selected to receive the money.
Sport Allies was founded by the leaders of Worldwide Roar, a sports fundraising project that uses the power of photography and film to tackle homophobia and celebrate the male form.
Angus Malcolm, the charity’s founder and chair, said: “Joe’s intervention in the debate over the World Cup has been truly inspiring.
“It shows how effectively we can make our voices heard if we are willing to step up.
“We were happily watching with admiration from the sidelines, and were gobsmacked to find out that the funds had not been shredded and half of them were in fact in our bank account!
“We are deeply humbled that Joe has made us a part of such an incredible story, alongside our compatriots at Stonewall. He is an example to us all.”
Nancy Kelley, Stonewall’s chief executive, had tweeted on Monday to thank Lycett for his donation.
Sport Allies is currently working on two new films that will build on a legacy that began back in 2009 with the first WR calendar.
The charity has also recently received over 500 donations from entries to a virtual Worldwide Roar exhibition, titled ‘Seeing Men’.
Curated by acclaimed international artist and former Head of Culture for the London 2012 Games, Keith Khan, this virtual exhibition can be visited from anywhere in the world.
For more information, visit the Sport Allies website.
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