GLL Sport Foundation Awards Evening 2025
Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL have announced 38 athletes from Hammersmith & Fulham will benefit from the 2025 intake of its GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) – the largest independent athlete award programme in the UK.
Now in its 17th year the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) has so far contributed over £17m worth of athlete funding and support and distributed over 30,000 awards to young and talented athletes in 70 areas of the UK where GLL operate and across 117 different sports.
At a GSF Awards Event held at Novotel West London on June 18th, athletes and partners gathered to hear how this year's athlete award fund of £24,700 will help support talented athletes on their sporting journey.
The GSF supports athletes through financial bursaries, access to physical rehabilitation and mental wellbeing support and all athletes are also given access to over 250 sport and leisure facilities across the UK operated by GLL under its "BETTER" brand. These include The Phoenix Fitness Centre and .
Over 17 years, the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) has continued to be at the forefront of developing local young athletic talent with the majority of athletes under the age of 21 and on average 88% of athletes receive no other funding or athlete support, which underlines the importance of the scheme to up and coming athletes.
GLL’s recent research shows that many talented athletes struggle to realise their dreams of sporting glory due to rising costs of equipment, training, physiotherapy, travel and nutrition. For them, a GSF Award can be the lifeline to staying in training and meeting their potential.
Local GSF athletes in Hammersmith & Fulham include Patrick Roddy(Athletics) and Fabio Carvalho(Taewonkdo).
Current GSF National Ambassadors include Joe Clarke, Kimberley Woods, Tulley Kearny, Louise Fiddes, Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson and amongst GSF Alumni are Tom Daley, Ellie Simmonds, Daryl Neita and Anthony Joshua.
Partnership Manager Emily Simmons said “It was wonderful to hear such inspiring stories at the presentation event from these local talented athletes. We are pleased to help support them on their sporting journey, especially as 88% of them receive no other funding”.
Hammersmith & Fulham Mayor Cllr Sharon Holder commented “I'm proud to see 38 H&F athletes getting the support they need to pursue their sporting dreams. Sport is such an important part of our borough's cultural fabric – from our three major football clubs to grassroots athletes such as Munirah and Angelita. Giving residents every opportunity to thrive in the sports they're passionate about is part of our work to make H&F stronger, safer and kinder.”
For more information visit www.gllsportfoundation.org
The GLL Sport Foundation's Patron is Sally Gunnell, OBE and partners involved in the programme include; SportsAid, SportsAid Wales, Mary Peters Trust, sponsors from GLL's supply chain and local authority partners.