GLL Sport Foundation, supporting the UK's future athletic heroes

Applications Open 20th December 2021

GLL – the UK’s largest charitable leisure social enterprise - is set to assist more than three thousand athletes, through its athlete support programme, the GLL Sport Foundation.

Applications are open until 20^th February 2022.

The GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) supports athletes across 65 areas of the UK with financial help, physiotherapy, a ‘Better’ Gym membership and more.

In the wake of a difficult two years, GLL continued with the programme in 2020 and 2021, investing into the development of local talent, aspiring to follow previous supported athletes such as Susie Rodgers, Dina Asher-Smith and Lutalo Muhammad. 

In 2022 GLL is investing over £1.2 million into the development of local athletes who aspire to follow in the footsteps of Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic medallists such as, Joe Choong, Tom Dean, Matty Lee and Tully Kearney. 

In 2021, 63% of the GLL Sport Foundation’s supported athletes were under 21 years old and 96% received no other funding.

The impact of the Foundation is significant and highlighted by GSF Patron Sally Gunnell OBE who remains the only athlete to hold consecutive Olympic, World and Commonwealth titles.  She said:

“From my own experience starting out as a young athlete and progressing through my sport, I understand how important the recognition and support from organisations like the GLL Sport Foundation can be to a young athletes. It can make the difference in achieving sporting ambitions.

“This is ever-more important today as we recover from a difficult and challenging two years, where dreams have been put on hold and sport had to stop. Athletes can now refocus having re-started competition and working towards those goals with the support of the GLL Sport Foundation.”

GSF Chair Peter Bundey said:

“Our supported athletes delivered such fantastic medal-winning performances in Tokyo we are sure they will inspire other young people across our local communities to apply for these athlete awards so they can follow their dreams.

“Years ago, when we set up the Foundation with Patron Sally Gunnell, there were very few schemes that were able to have the same impact on talent development.  Now others are following the example of the GLL Sport Foundation and working alongside national talent pathways to ensure a pipeline for sporting excellence as well as getting more young people into sport and physical exercise”.

Over its 13 years, the GLL Sport Foundation has invested over £12.1 million supporting athletes, providing more than 16,000 awards. This support has yielded a staggering 76 Olympic and Paralympic medals for GSF athletes.

Athletes can join this prestigious group by applying for support in 2022.

Applications are open until 20^th February 2022 via the website portal – www.gllsportfoundation.org

 

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