Huge Funding Boost for UK’s Elite Winter Sports Programme

GB Snowsport has secured full funding for its elite Ski Cross team for the 2024-25 season thanks to the generosity of a West Midlands accountancy practice.

Prime Accountants Group has been announced as a partner for GB Snowsport for the upcoming season to fund its elite athletes’ coaches, technicians and expenses.

Prime, which has offices in Solihull, Birmingham and Coventry, has stepped in to support GB Snowsport and provide muchneeded additional investment in the run-up to the Milan-Cortina Olympic qualifying period.

GB Snowsport’s goal is to manage and develop the programme to put British world class skiers and snowboarders onto World Cup podiums and win Olympic and Paralympic medals.

Most of its funding comes from UK Sport, but this comes down to whether athletes are judged to have ‘podium potential’ at major events.

Morgan Davies, Managing Director of Prime Accountants Group, said: “Ski Cross is a sport where hundredths of a second matter and can be the difference between qualifying for major events.

“Countries such as Canada, France and Switzerland provide significantly more funding to their athletes and for GB athletes to compete at this level without backing is an impossible task.

“Supporting the team is bigger than looking after one individual and is simply about providing the athletes with an environment to deliver. It is increasingly up to businesses to help fund those dreams.”

Alongside its backing for Team GB ski cross athlete Ollie Davies, who took silver at the Reiteralm World Cup, and the GB Snowsport team, Prime has supported Solihull skier Scott Johns – son of Prime Director Kevin Johns – since he first qualified for the Winter Youth Olympics in 2020.

Vicky Gosling, GB Snowsport Chief Executive, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Prime Accountants Group on board for the 2024-25 season.

“Our Ski Cross team has delivered some impressive results in recent years, and the support that Prime bring coming into the new season will allow us to invest in the team set-up as the critical Milan-Cortina Olympic qualifying period gets under way.”

The world championships are set to take place in St. Moritz in March 2025.