St George’s Hospital Charity fundraiser chosen to perform Wimbledon coin toss
Earlier this year, the Wimbledon Foundation, the charity of The All England Lawn Tennis Club and The Championships, invited residents of Merton and Wandsworth to nominate inspirational young people who had gone above and beyond to care for their friends, family and communities during the pandemic.
Two young people from Merton and Wandsworth took centre stage at the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Singles Finals after being nominated by the community to perform the pre-match coin toss ceremonies.
Dylan Mulvey (13) from Wandsworth took part in the ceremony at the Gentlemen’s Singles Final on Sunday 10 July, after being nominated by Abi Davies, events fundraising officer at St George’s Hospital Charity in recognition of his fundraising efforts for the hospital. Dylan decided to take part in an abseil to say thank you to St George’s for looking after his grandparents in their end-of-life care; for ‘repairing’ him and his rugby teammates; and for the hospital staff’s tireless efforts caring for people during the pandemic.
Amerjit Chohan, Chief Executive of St George’s Hospital Charity, said:
“Everyone at St George’s is pleased and proud that Dylan was chosen for this honour, in recognition of his fundraising efforts, and especially in the year of the Centre Court Centenary. Thanks to the generosity of our loyal supporters, like Dylan, we can continue to support our NHS heroes, the staff, as they work through the aftermath of the pandemic.”
Gabia Sakaviciute (13) performed the coin toss on Centre Court on Saturday 9 July, in front of an estimated worldwide audience of 1.2 billion, having been nominated by Angie Conway, a therapeutic counsellor at Jigsaw4u, a local children’s charity which supports children and young people through trauma, loss and bereavement. Gabia, who grew up in Merton, was chosen for overcoming difficult personal circumstances and in recognition of the way in which she selflessly cared for her family and neighbours during the pandemic.
Stephen Loizou, Managing Director of Jigsaw4u, said:
“Jigsaw4u is extremely proud of Gabia who is delighted to have been chosen to perform the coin toss. We could not think of a more deserving young person and want to thank the Wimbledon Foundation for providing her with this incredible opportunity.”
Bruce Weatherill, Chairman of the Wimbledon Foundation, said:
“Inspiring the next generation and creating opportunities for young people is central to the Wimbledon Foundation’s work. While the last two years have been extremely challenging for young people, we know that there are many who have stepped up to help their communities. We’re delighted to give two young people from Merton and Wandsworth the recognition they deserve through this once-in-a lifetime opportunity to step out onto Centre Court and perform the coin toss at the Wimbledon Finals.”
Dylan and Gabia performed the coin toss using two bespoke platinum coins created by the World Platinum Investment Council to mark Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and the Centre Court Centenary. The coins will be on display in the Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum following The Championships.
Notes to editors
Editors’ Notes
Watch Gabia’s story and Dylan’s story.
St George’s Hospital Charity
St George’s Hospital Charity works in partnership with St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, St George’s, University of London and its local community to fund major improvements to hospital facilities, research and medical equipment, schemes that make a real difference to the experience of patients, families and staff, as well as projects within the community that support the reduction of health inequalities and preventable hospital admissions. St George’s Hospital Charity is a registered charity (1171195) and a company limited by guarantee (10565339). www.stgeorgeshospitalcharity.org.uk
Wimbledon Foundation
The Wimbledon Foundation is the official charity of The All England Lawn Tennis Club and The Championships. Its mission is to champion opportunity for all using the collective strength of Wimbledon to make a positive difference to people’s lives. The Wimbledon Foundation is a registered charity (1156996) and a company limited by guarantee (8559364). www.wimbledon.com/foundation
Jigsaw4u
Jigsaw4u is a children’s charity based in southwest London supporting young people affected by significant social, emotional and bereavement issues. Jigsaw4u is a registered charity (1109167) and a company limited by guarantee (5366329). www.jigsaw4u.org.uk
