SUFFOLK rower Joshua Tonnar has secured funding through the Suffolk SportsAid Foundation’s Destination Gold initiative to help his preparations ahead of the London 2012 Olympics.

Destination Gold encourages local businesses to back talentend athletes from the county, and Joshua has been chosen for support by the Best Western Ufford Park hotel and golf complex.

Adam Baker, Suffolk 2012 manager, said: “The Suffolk SportsAid Foundation, which is behind Destination Gold, has pledged to provide Suffolk companies with an opportunity to associate themselves with a world-class athlete.

“We are asking local companies to effectively ‘adopt’ an athlete and help them in their ultimate goal of representing Team GB, and Suffolk, at the most memorable sporting event in the world – the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We are absolutely delighted that Ufford Park Hotel, Golf & Spa has ‘adopted’ Joshua and joined Ipswich Building Society, Adnams, Customer Service Direct and Prettys in the Destination Gold project.”

The Suffolk SportsAid Foundation, launched in 2007, has now awarded more than 60 grants. Joshua was selected in 2007 for the Sir Steve Redgrave Sporting Giants Programme and has this year been training with the GB senior rowing squad.

Tarnia Robertson, marketing director at Ufford Park, said: “As a family-run business we felt ‘adopting’ Joshua into our family would enable us to feel a real part of what will be a once in a lifetime opportunity.

“Joshua is a focused and talented young man, who we believe could achieve great things at the London Olympics – we are very proud to be his sponsor.”