Norwich Union agrees £20m UK athletics deal

sponsorship of domestic athletics events until 2006, replaces the

current agreement, worth £10m over four years.

The sponsorship deal is crucial for athletics, as it will help secure

financial stability for the sport until well after the Olympic Games in

Athens in 2004.

Under its terms, NU will continue to provide headline sponsorship of the

UK's major athletics events, such as the British Grand Prix, which is

televised live by the BBC. It will also be the title sponsor of the

British senior, junior and under-23 athletics teams.

More than 20% of the sponsorship funding will be invested at grass-roots

level and in development initiatives, as part of NU's strategy of

positioning itself at the heart of local communities.

The programmes include star:track, a nationwide 'come and try' scheme

designed to introduce youngsters to athletics. Sports:hall is a

competitive indoor project for eight- to 15-year-olds. Shine: awards, is

a national scheme to improve athletics performance and encourage

participation. Agility:challenge in- troduces children to the sport.

NU Insurance chief executive Patrick Snowball said: "(The sponsorship)

works at many levels, providing an excellent platform for the marketing

programmes supporting our brand, as well as giving us the opportunity to

invest back in communities."