Lewis Hamilton donates £20m pound to charitable foundation to empower youth in UK
[July 29, 2021: The Brighter Side of News]
The seven-time Formula One champion, Lewis hamilton, pledged on Tuesday to donate 20 million pounds (23.4 million euros) in the launch of a new foundation, Mission 44, to support underrepresented British youth.
The money will support organizations and programs that bridge the gap in employment and education through partnerships, collaborations, donations and advocacy, according to a statement.
Partner brands and Mercedes driver sponsors will also contribute.
“Mission 44 represents my commitment to creating real change in this community,” said the Briton, who could celebrate his 100th career victory at this weekend’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
“In my early life, I experienced first-hand how coming from an underrepresented background can affect your future, but luckily for me, I was able to overcome those odds thanks to the opportunities and support,” said the only black pilot of the ‘Circus’.
“I want to make sure that other young people from similar backgrounds can do the same.”
Hamilton has raced from the start with the number 44 on his car, rather than the number one reserved for the reigning champion.
Mercedes has launched a joint charitable initiative, Ignite, with Hamilton to support greater diversity in motorsports. This initiative will be part of Mission 44.
A commission founded a year ago by Hamilton to help motorsport engage more black youth released its report this month. Led by the Royal Academy of Engineering, the report makes 10 recommendations for change.
Barriers to diversity include hiring a select group of top-tier universities, the rural location of teams, and consistently underperforming schools.
“The findings of the Hamilton Commission and its recommendations have provided us with a fantastic basis to begin our work,” said Hamilton.
“The change within the industry should have occurred a long time ago, but now we are firmly on the path to transforming it for the better.”
The boss of the Mercedes team, Toto wolff, said Ignite will complement the team’s own Accelerate 25 program and attract more talent from underrepresented groups to Formula 1 and the motorsport industry in general.
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