• Dreams announces partnership with Special Olympics GB, a marker of its commitment to inclusion
• Comes as the retailer renews partnership with Team GB and ParalympicsGB to be the Official Sleep Partner for both in Paris 2024
Dreams, the UK’s leading bed retailer, has become the first British brand to partner with all three national multi-sport event associations in the UK – British Olympic Association, British Paralympic Association and Special Olympics GB.
Dreams today announces its partnership with Special Olympics GB, a non-profit organisation and the largest provider of year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults of all abilities with intellectual disabilities. This move is a marker of Dreams’ commitment to inclusion.
Special Olympics GB uses the power of sport to change attitudes and enable opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities to live active, healthy and fulfilling lives.
The organisation was originally founded in 1968 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, in the USA, to combat negative attitudes and the lack of opportunities for people with intellectual disabilities. It now operates in more than 200 countries worldwide.
Dreams will support Special Olympics GB in its vision to be able to offer sporting opportunities to its 6,500 athletes and the 1.5 million people who live with intellectual disabilities in Great Britain today. Dreams colleagues will also work closely with the organisation’s volunteer network, supporting the organisation in the numerous events and activities that it runs throughout the country, highlighting the need for true inclusion across all aspects of our society.
Laura Baxter, Interim CEO of Special Olympics GB said: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Dreams on this new and exciting strategic partnership. For our Special Olympics GB athletes to be recognised and included in such a ground-breaking deal which puts them shoulder to shoulder with Olympians and Paralympians is literally a dream come true. We are hugely grateful to Dreams for this opportunity and full credit must be given to them for demonstrating the true meaning of inclusion in this way.”
This comes as Dreams renews its partnership with Team GB and ParalympicsGB to be the Official Sleep Partner for the 2024 Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The renewal of these partnerships follows the success of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games. The campaign was a success for Dreams, with the brand now the second most associated brand of Team GB and the most associated for ParalympicsGB among bed buyers. One in two bed buyers in the UK now also consider Dreams as their first choice.
Jonathan Hirst, CEO, Dreams, said: “It’s such an honour to be the very first British brand to partner with Team GB, ParalympicsGB and Special Olympics GB. Special Olympics GB is truly one-of-a-kind. Not only in the opportunities it provides for people with intellectual disabilities to try new sports and compete, but also in the amazing community it has created. We’re thrilled to be a part of this community, and we look forward to supporting Special Olympics GB – both as an organisation and through our colleagues – in the huge number and variety of events and activities it has in store.”
“What’s more, we’re delighted to continue our partnership with Team GB and ParalympicsGB as we look ahead to Paris 2024. As the UK’s most recommended bed retailer, we’re a natural fit for the UK’s most-loved sports team. Rest, recuperation and proper sleep health is so important for all athletes, and we look forward to supporting the teams once more in our role as their Official Sleep Partner.”
ENDS
For more information, please contact:
Mel Walker, Headland Consultancy
mwalker@headlandconsultancy.com / 07435 546 304
Poppy Ingleson, Headland Consultancy
pingleson@headlandconsultancy.com / 07585 802 192
Alison Lavenant, Special Olympics GB
Alison.lavenant@sogb.org.uk /07841 004 183
About Dreams:
Established in 1985, Dreams is the UK’s number one specialist bed retailer.
Headquartered at ‘Bedquarters’ in High Wycombe, and with 2,000 employees across the UK, Dreams sells 11,500 mattresses, bases and headboards per week to customers nationwide through its store network of over 200 sites and online.
As part of its mission to deliver Better Sleep for All, Dreams has a wide portfolio of brands. These include its Dreams own-brand, and Sleep and Snooze, both made at its Bed Factory in Oldbury, and luxury offer, Feather & Black. It has also invested in innovative Sleep Match technology in all its stores and is proud to be the official sleep partner for Team GB and ParalympicsGB.
Dreams is part of Tempur Sealy International, a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of bedding products, whose brands include Tempur-Pedic®, TEMPUR®, Sealy®, Stearns & Foster®.
About Special Olympics GB
Special Olympics Great Britain (GB), set up in 1978, is a non-profit charity which provides year-round sports coaching and athletic competition in summer and winter sports for children and adults of all abilities with intellectual disabilities.
Special Olympics GB currently has 95 accredited programmes in Scotland, England and Wales and provides coaching and competition opportunities in 27 sports. These programmes are run by over 3,500 volunteers who support more than 6,500 athletes with intellectual disabilities to take part.
Special Olympics GB offers more than just an opportunity for people with intellectual disabilities to take part in sport – it transforms lives. Through sport it provides opportunities for athletes to increase confidence, realise potential, develop physical fitness and mental well-being, demonstrate courage and experience new friendships. And above all, for both athletes and their families – to have some fun!
The work of Special Olympics GB is currently funded by individuals, trust and corporate donations and financial support is crucial to enable us to continue our work.
Over a quarter of British adults (26%) have had heard of Special Olympics GB and 98% think that it is an inspirational organisation. (Two Circles, National Representative Omnibus Survey for Special Olympics GB)
For further information, please visit Special Olympics Great Britain
About the BOA:
The British Olympic Association (BOA) is the National Olympic Committee for Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Its mission is to develop, promote and protect the Olympic Movement in our territory in accordance with the Olympic Charter. The BOA achieves this through:
• Working in partnership with our members and key stakeholders to deliver world-leading services and support to enable British athletes to reach their full potential at the Olympic Games, Olympic Winter Games and other IOC-sanctioned events.
• Working in partnership with our members and key stakeholders to provide athletes with relevant support on the journey to, during and following their Olympic careers.
• Engaging people throughout the United Kingdom to pursue their very own goals and dreams through the Olympic Values and the example of Team GB Olympians.
• Being the independent voice of Olympic Sport and collaborating with our members and other sport stakeholders, both domestically and internationally, to support the continued growth and overall health of the Olympic Movement in the UK.
For further information, please visit https://www.teamgb.com/
About the British Paralympic Association and ParalympicsGB
The British Paralympic Association is the National Paralympic Committee for the UK, responsible for the promotion of the Paralympic movement in Great Britain and selecting, entering and funding the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic team.
ParalympicsGB is the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Paralympic Team competing at the summer and winter Paralympic Games. We know that the outstanding performances of our athletes have a powerful impact on the British public and can shift perceptions of disability in society, helping to inspire a better world for disabled people.
The BPA would like to thank the National Lottery, UK Sport and our Gold Partners adidas, Allianz, bp, British Airways, CMR Surgical, Dreams, Hogan Lovells, Nestlé Cereals UK and Toyota, and our Partners asos, Citi and Sir Robert McAlpine for their support. Further details are available at https://paralympics.org.uk/