GLL Sport Foundation Awards 2024 - Applications Open to Croydon’s Talented Sports People

The GLL Sport Foundation - the UK's largest, independent athlete support programme - opens once again to welcome new applications for 2024.

Talented athletes from Croydon are invited to apply for a range of support awards which include financial help, access to sport facilities, physiotherapy, lifestyle mentoring and mental health aid.

Now in its 15th year of operation, the GLL Sport Foundation has so far contributed over £14m and distributed 26,000 awards to support young talented athletes on their sporting journey.

The innovative scheme is provided by charitable social enterprise GLL who are working in close partnership with Croydon Council to promote the scheme locally. Already a popular and essential support programme for athletes, the Foundation is expecting heightened athlete interest as training costs, equipment purchases, strength & conditioning costs and travel costs continue to rise. 

All successful applicants will be given access to the 250 sport and leisure facilities across the UK operated by GLL under its “Better” trading brand. World class facilities that can be used by athletes include the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park’s Copper Box Arena, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority’s White Water Centre, Ice Centre and VeloPark; and Manchester’s Aquatics Centre and National Cycling Centre.

Applications open from 20 December 2023 until 20th February 2024.

It has always been a core mission of the programme to support young emerging talent on their sporting journey, with the majority of athletes aged under the age of 21 and the largest cohort under 18 years old. Across the programme, 87% of athletes receive no other funding or athlete support, which underlines the importance of the scheme to both athletes and GLL’s social values.

Commenting on the launch of the GSF Awards 2024, Peter Bundey, GLL Sport Foundation Chair, paid tribute to the support of Foundation Patron Sally Gunnell and all partners involved in the programme including; SportsAid, Mary Peters Trust, SportsAid Wales, sponsors, medical and local authority partners and Switch The Play Foundation:

“Our awards work alongside a number of national talent pathways and provide a lifeline to individual athletes as well as helping local communities discover the opportunities and enrichment that comes through sport”.

The successful impact of the Foundation is important to 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.”

Applications are open until 20th February 2024 via the website portal – www.gllsportfoundation.org