GLL Sport Foundation Awards 2026 – applications open from 20th December

Talented athletes and sportspeople from Cumbria are being invited to apply for the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) Awards 2026, the UK’s largest independent athlete support scheme, when applications open on 20 December 2025.

The awards provide a comprehensive package of support to help local athletes fulfil their potential. This includes financial bursaries, free access to gyms, swimming pools and sports facilities, physiotherapy, lifestyle mentoring, and mental health and wellbeing support.

Now in its 18th year, the GLL Sport Foundation will distribute a record £2 million in bursaries and in-kind support in 2026, making it the largest programme of its kind in the UK.

Successful applicants from Cumbria will receive free access to local Better leisure centres and sporting facilities across the borough, as well as entry to more than 250 GLL-operated venues nationwide. This extensive access supports both day-to-day training and competition preparation.

The awards also reflect GLL’s long-standing partnership with Cumberland Council, helping to sustain investment in local leisure centres and community sport. Together, they support the creation of accessible, inclusive and high-quality training environments close to home for local athletes.

By April 2026, more than 35,000 athlete awards will have been made, with almost £20 million in support provided to aspiring sportsmen and women since the scheme launched in 2008.

Delivered by GLL, a charitable social enterprise and co-operative, the programme has become an essential source of support for athletes over nearly two decades, helping to offset the rising costs of training, travel and equipment throughout their sporting journeys.

All successful applicants will receive access to more than 250 sport and leisure facilities across the UK operated by GLL under its “Better” brand.

Supporting young, emerging talent has always been at the heart of the GLL Sport Foundation programme. The majority of award recipients are under the age of 21, with the largest group aged under 18. Across the scheme, 88% of athletes receiving GSF Awards receive no other funding or formal athlete support, highlighting the vital role the programme plays for both its recipients and GLL’s wider social values.

As the success of UK athletes continues to inspire national pride and expand the positive impact of sport within local communities, the GSF has firmly established itself as the UK’s most successful independent athlete support programme.
The foundation has supported many high-profile athletes, including Tom Daley, Ellie Simmonds, Anthony Joshua and Kimberley Woods. Collectively, past and present GSF-supported athletes secured 77 medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With major international events such as the Winter Olympics and the Commonwealth Games taking place in 2026, the programme continues to inspire both elite sporting achievement and meaningful community engagement.
The GLL Sport Foundation’s Patron is Sally Gunnell, OBE, and partners involved in the programme include; Mary Peters Trust, SportsAid, SportsAid Wales, sponsors from GLL’s supply chain and Switch The Play Foundation.

Sally Gunnell commented: "Young athletes in the UK have never needed support as much as they do today.

"The GSF programme grows each year - with many recipients becoming household names. I'm looking forward to meeting the sports stars of tomorrow who are starting or continuing their sporting journeys with GSF in 2026.”

Commenting on the launch of the GSF Awards 2026 at Gateshead International Stadium, GLL Regional Director Tony Wallace said: “Our GSF Awards provide a lifeline to individual athletes as well as inspiring other young people in local communities.We encourage as many talented athletes as possible to look into the scheme and find out how they may benefit from our support.”

Applications open via the website portal on 20th December 2025 and run until 20th February 2026 when the application window closes.

For more information and to apply, visit the GLL Sport Foundation website.