On Monday 15th June GLL and Waltham Forest Council celebrated the successes of local athletes who were being recognised for their achievements through the GLL Sport Foundation. 2026 saw a record number of 68 Waltham Forest athletes receive this funding. The cohort has grown year on year, with 68 athletes ranging from age 8 through to competitors in their 50s that are currently receiving funding.  
GLL is the charitable social enterprise behind the Better brand and the borough’s leisure provider.  

GSF was launched 17 years ago with the aim of supporting talented young athletes through financial assistance and practical help. In Waltham Forest, 96% of supported athletes receive no other financial backing. Without this scheme, many would be self-funding their training and competitions or relying on family support via the bank of Mum and Dad. 

As the UK’s largest independent athlete award programme, GSF provides £45,000 of support to Waltham Forest athletes. Recipients benefit from a range of in-kind support, including free UK-wide Better memberships, access to physiotherapy services, and financial bursaries, helping to foster talent across the country.  
The programme continues to widen and deepen opportunities in sport across all communities. The Community Sport Manager for Waltham Forest explains:  
“GSF continues to go from strength to strength in Waltham Forest, helping young people begin their sporting journeys and enabling more experienced athletes to sustain them. This year, there were almost 100 applications and, as a result, we have once again increased the number of supported athletes while also backing a more diverse range of sports.”  

According to GSF research, a lack of funding to compete in their chosen sport remains the biggest barrier to young people achieving their sporting ambitions. There is widespread agreement that more should be done to support Britain’s talented young athletes to achieve sporting success, along with the opportunities and national pride that come with it. Waltham Forest has some incredible athletes including 3 GSF Ambassadors who have reached the pinnacle of their disciplines, Kim Daybell, Lucy Charles-Barclay and Bianca Williams.  

Both Lucy and her husband Reece are funded by the scheme and have been training more regularly at Chingford Leisure Centre with intense swimming sessions. 4-time Ironman World Champion, Lucy participated in an Athlete Panel discussion at the award night and said: “We cannot thank the GLL Sport Foundation enough for their ongoing support. Without their help, we couldn’t have dreamt of reaching the level we have so quickly and we have stayed loyal to the support programme since to help inspire more athletes.”  Lucy has recently been training more regularly at Chingford Leisure Centre with intense swimming sessions.  

Joining Lucy Charles Barclay in the Athlete Panel was Debra Wilson-Osuide, age 20, a team Great Britain basketballer, and Isabella Moulton, the U16 national champion for 80M hurdles.   
  
Debra: "It has been great to practice at Score Leisure Centre, the facilities are fantastic" 
 
Isabella "I train on the track (Waltham Forest Feel Good Centre) three times a week and before I was funded it was costing me about £15 a week, now it is included...this funding has helped me believe in my potential"   
 
We were pleased that GLL Chief Executive Officer and Chair of GLL Sport Foundation, Peter Bundey was at the Waltham Forest Awards to explain about GSF and present the awards with the new Cabinet Member for Culture, Sport and Communication, Cllr Anna Rose Kerr.  

Proceeding the Athlete Panel, the Strategic Director for Neighbourhoods and Environment, Debbie Porter, gave her reflections on the evening, “Thanks for another inspiring evening – so impressed by all of the athletes."  

GLL would like to thank all the schools, sports clubs and community organisations that have contributed to the sporting journeys of Waltham Forest athletes. The athletes are listed in the attached documents.  
For more information on the programme, visit:  
www.gllsportfoundation.co.uk