Lewis Hamilton has pledged £20m to a new charity that will help young people in the UK with their education. The money is going to Mission 44, which is set up by former England captain and current BBC Sport pundit Wayne Rooney.
Lewis Hamilton pledged £20m to Mission 44, a new charity which supports organizations working in developing countries. The money will go towards helping the organization grow and create sustainable projects to improve the lives of people living in poverty.
Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time Formula One champion, has pledged £20 million to a new foundation focused at empowering young people from under-represented communities in the United Kingdom.
Mission 44, Hamilton’s new charity, was founded on Tuesday with the goal of providing opportunities for young people from underrepresented backgrounds by “supporting organizations and programs that narrow the gap in employment and education systems, through partnerships, collaborations, grant giving, and advocacy.”
The results of the recent Hamilton Commission, which was established by Hamilton to better understand the obstacles Black individuals experience in pursuing a career in British racing, will be used by Mission 44, but the charity is also dedicated to assisting other under-represented communities.
It will collaborate with Ignite, a new joint charity organization established by Hamilton and the Mercedes Formula One team, which was also announced on Tuesday.
Ignite seeks to promote diversity in racing by assisting in the funding of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) projects.
Hamilton, F1’s only Black driver, has committed £20 million to Mission 44’s efforts in the aim of expanding possibilities for young people interested in pursuing a career in racing.
“It’s always been essential to me to support the aspirations of underrepresented young people, and Mission 44 reflects my commitment to make a genuine difference in our community,” Hamilton said. “I initially saw how being from an underrepresented background may impact your future in my early years, but fortunately for me, I was able to overcome those odds via opportunity and assistance.” I want to make sure that other young people from similar circumstances get the same opportunity.
“I am thrilled that Mercedes has agreed to join me on our Ignite project, which aims to enhance representation in the racing sector. The Hamilton Commission’s findings and recommendations have given us with an excellent foundation on which to begin our work. Change in the sector has been long overdue, but we are now well on our way to making it a better place.”
“We are thrilled and proud to be standing with Lewis today for the launch of Mission 44 and the Ignite project,” Mercedes team principal Toto Wolf said. Lewis has often discussed the difficulties he has encountered in racing.
“His desire to convert his experience into such strong and decisive action reflects both his character and his steadfast dedication to helping others reach their full potential.” Over the past year, we at Mercedes have listened to Lewis and worked closely with him to figure out how we can help open up our sport and create a more diverse and inclusive workforce inside our own team.
“The chance to collaborate via Ignite, Mission 44, and our own Accelerate 25 initiative is both thrilling and daunting. We’re excited to get started, and we believe that our efforts will allow many more individuals to enjoy the thrills of racing in the future.”
