Camden Athletes Celebrated at GLL Sport Foundation Awards Evening
A total of 44 young athletes from Camden have been selected to benefit from the 2025 intake of the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) – the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme.
The athletes were celebrated at a special GSF Awards Evening on 12th June, held at the Hall for All at Acland Burghley School. The event brought together athletes, families, local partners, and special guests to celebrate Camden’s rising sports stars and the vital support they receive through the Foundation.
Now in its 17th year, the GLL Sport Foundation has awarded more than £17 million in funding and distributed over 30,000 athlete awards across 70 areas of the UK. The support helps athletes at all levels to continue their training and development in over 117 different sports.
This year, a total of £29,200 will go directly to Camden athletes in the form of financial support, access to training facilities, and wellbeing services such as physiotherapy and mental health support. Award recipients also receive access to over 250 leisure centres operated by GLL under its “BETTER” brand including local sites such as Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre, King’s Cross Fitness, Pancras Square Leisure, Oasis Sports Centre, Talacre Community Sports Centre and Kentish Town Sports Centre.
The evening was made even more special by the presence of Paralympic legend Ellie Simmonds, who returned to Camden as a GSF Alumni and Legacy Ambassador. In an inspiring Q&A session, Ellie shared personal stories about her journey to winning five Paralympic gold medals, becoming the youngest member of Team GB at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and her continued success as a documentary filmmaker and broadcaster.
The Mayor of Camden, Councillor Eddie Hanson, opened the event with a moving speech about his own journey from growing up in Sierra Leone to becoming Camden’s first Black mayor. His story, along with Ellie’s, offered powerful motivation to the young athletes and families in attendance.
Among this year’s local award recipients are Olympic weightlifter Deborah Alawode, lacrosse player Ella Cohen, and fencer Louis Guennou just a few of Camden’s bright sporting talents aiming for national and international success.
The GLL Sport Foundation continues to provide critical support for many young athletes who would otherwise struggle with the rising costs of training, travel, equipment, nutrition, and specialist support.
88% of GSF-supported athletes receive no other form of funding.
Speaking about the event, the Mayor of Camden said:
“It was wonderful to hear such inspiring stories from these incredibly talented local athletes.”
Ellie Simmonds added:
“It was so great to meet all of the athletes and their families and hear about their amazing journeys.”
The GLL Sport Foundation is supported by a range of partners including SportsAid, the Mary Peters Trust, Switch the Play Foundation, and several local authorities. Its patron is Olympic gold medallist Sally Gunnell, OBE.
A special thanks goes to local partners who made the event possible:
Acland Burghley School’s Hall for All: Hannah Newman and her students, who are currently fundraising to help renovate the venue - https://hallforall.org/
Schools Plus: for excellent support with event setup and logistics
The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment (OAE): with thanks to Tom for overseeing lighting and sound
For more information on GSF, visit www.gllsportfoundation.org