A children's charity in Austria has been awarded £86,150 (€100,000) after winning the F1 Allwyn Global Community Award during the Austrian Grand Prix weekend. Sindbad Mentoring, a tutorship programme based in Graz, secured the prize from a competitive field of community-focused initiatives.
Prize Background and Criteria
Allwyn, a partner of the McLaren F1 team, created the award as part of a multi-year partnership with Formula 1. The prize is handed out at seven F1 events this season, aiming to recognise and spotlight community initiatives that have a positive impact on society. Eligible applicants must be registered non-profit organisations, charities, or NGOs, and their initiatives should focus on Empowerment and Inclusion, Education and Opportunity, Health and Wellbeing, or Sustainability and Innovation.
Reaction from Sindbad Mentoring
Julia Unterberger, co-founder of Sindbad, expressed her shock upon receiving the news. Speaking exclusively to Express.co.uk, she said: “I got the email on the Friday afternoon on my holiday and I just couldn't believe it. I had to check if it was spam. I just couldn't believe it. I double checked it. Once I had got it I called Barbara and told them and it was the perfect start of the weekend on a Friday afternoon.”
How Sindbad Mentoring Works
The non-profit organisation provides one-to-one mentoring, connecting teenagers aged 13-19 from underrepresented backgrounds with long-term mentors in their 20s. Since 2019, 8,400 young people across Austria have participated in the initiative, gaining valuable insight into making the first steps towards their future careers.
Barbara Krainer, co-head of Sindbad, told Express.co.uk: “We aim for young people who come from disadvantaged backgrounds because especially those students find it quite hard to get access to networks or have a role model because they sometimes lack in their own family. The mentors can be a person that guides them through this very critical stage where they need to decide what they want to do next.”
Impact of the Award
Allwyn stressed that Sindbad won due to its power in creating a lasting impact and delivering enduring societal benefit through youth development. Ellen Jones, Head of ESG at Formula 1 and F1 Allwyn Global Community Award judge, commented: "Sindbad Mentoring's model doesn't just offer immediate help, but builds enduring confidence and opportunity, a mission that mirrors Formula 1’s own commitment to ensuring our sport acts as a powerful catalyst for growth and inclusion worldwide."
Some of Sindbad’s mentees were invited to Austria’s Red Bull Ring to experience the Grand Prix up close. The organisation also received the Allwyn Community Award trophy, a bespoke handcrafted design from Jan Plecháč, Creative Director of world-renowned Czech glassworks Moser.
Use of Prize Money
Sindbad has stated that the funds will be used for logistics and additional marketing. Julia Unterberger explained: “With the community award from Allwyn we can add 35 additional places for young people in our programme, so we are growing and can scale our programme. It helps us to recruit and train mentors to organise programming activities and also increase our impact.”
