TASS, a national programme managed by SportsAid, helps support top British sportsmen and women who are in higher or further education.

Since becoming the scheme's disability sports partner in 2007, Deloitte has made over 500 TASS awards to more than 300 disabled athletes throughout the UK.

Many have been hugely successful in their chosen sports, with Beijing 2008 Paralympic gold medal winners including swimmer Ellie Simmonds (pictured above) and shooter Matt Skelhon (pictured below) among the scheme's alumni.


Simmonds (also pictured below), Skelhon and many others are now set to compete at London 2012, including four members of the Paralympic table tennis team.

David Wetherill, Jane Campbell, Kim Daybell and Will Bayley (pictured below) were some of the first athletes to receive Deloitte TASS funding and have all been confirmed for the London 2012 ParalympicsGB squad.

Bayley, the current world number one and table tennis champion in class 7, will be a major gold medal prospect at London 2012, and stated that he owes a huge debt of thanks to TASS for putting him in position to win a medal at the Games.

"I am really proud to have been selected for ParalympicsGB and look forward to playing in front of a home crowd in London," said Bayley.

"I've worked really hard preparing for the Games and Deloitte TASS has been part of that journey."

Catherine Bayley, the disability sport manager at Deloitte, said: "It is vital to invest in young talent and sustain that investment to ensure an impact is made.

"In the five years we have supported the TASS scheme, we are proud to have helped athletes achieve their dreams at Beijing, Vancouver and now in London."


Tim Lawler, the chief executive at SportsAid, also praised Deloitte's involvement in helping disability sport across the UK.

"The longevity of Deloitte's commitment to disability sport in Britain has been a real game changer not only for the athletes concerned, but increasingly for the sector as a whole," he said.

"This year we will see many former Deloitte TASS athletes in action at the Paralympic Games in London and they will be a huge inspiration both to the current crop and future generations, who we see as a living legacy from London 2012."

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