Newham hosts GLL Sports Foundation Celebration Event
On Tuesday 30 June, Newham Leisure Centre hosted the 2026 Newham Partnership and GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) Celebration Event. The evening provided an excellent opportunity to showcase the positive impact of the successful partnership between GLL and the London Borough of Newham, bringing together councillors, stakeholders, athletes, coaches, families and representatives from GLL's local, regional and national leadership teams.
The event was attended by over 60 guests, including 21 supported athletes, coaches, family members, club representatives and local partners.
Among those in attendance was Executive Mayor of Newham, Councillor Forhad Hussain, who delivered the opening address, speaking passionately about the importance of sport and physical activity and his ambition to ensure that there are no barriers preventing Newham residents from participating in sport.
Following on from this the awards ceremony was led by Tony Brown alongside Jamie Coleshill, Regional Director, and Councillor Susan Masters, Cabinet Member for Adults, Health and Environment.
To round off the evening, guests enjoyed an athlete Q&A session featuring Joseph Ikhinmwin, former London Lions captain and GSF Ambassador, Abdul Buhari, former Team GB Olympian and Emma Nwofor, Team GB 100m hurdler.
The evening was a resounding success with one parent saying "Thank you all for inviting us. It was a great evening and my daughter was so excited to attend. She really enjoyed the event and it was wonderful to hear about all the support being provided to so many athletes. I will certainly be spreading the word at my daughter's gymnastics club."
This is our second year of offering this scheme in Newham and the impact of the GLL Sport Foundation within the borough continues to grow as show by the statistics below
- 55 athletes supported
- £42,300 worth of support provided
- 87% of athletes receive no other funding
- 55% of athletes are under 21 years old
- 36% of athletes are under 16 years old
- 20 sports supported, including BMX, athletics, triathlon, martial arts and swimming