Talented Manchester Athletes Celebrated
2,000 athletes will benefit from the 2023 intake of the GLL Sport Foundation – the largest independent athlete award programme in the UK.
A £1.2m fund comprised of financial bursaries, training and access memberships, physiotherapy and more will support talented athletes across the UK with the cost of preparing and competing for national and international competition.
83 Manchester based athletes aged between 8 and 34 years old have been successful in their application to that fund, with representation from a great range of sports including Taekwondo, Para Swimming, Athletics, Triathlon, Water Polo, Boxing, Cycling and Basketball.
They will be recognised at a celebration event on Wednesday 17th May at the National Speedway Stadium where their sporting achievements will be acknowledged by GLL’s team in Manchester and an audience of invited guests.
Over 15 years, the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) has continued to be at the forefront of developing local young athletic talent with an impressive 25,000 awards totalling £14m having been made since 2008.
Ian Harkins, Head of Service for GLL in Manchester said:
“We’re delighted to once again be able to give something back to our talented local athletes through the GLL Sport Foundation, many who don’t receive any other funding to help towards their training. Manchester is well known for its sporting talent and incredible achievements and we look forward to watching our latest supported athletes on their sporting journeys.”
All successful applicants will be given access to the 250 sport and leisure facilities across the UK operated by GLL under its “Better” brand – in Manchester that includes the iconic Manchester Aquatics Centre which is due to re-open after major refurbishment next month, the National Cycling Centre, National Squash Centre and Regional Arena and National Basketball Performance. GLL operate 23 elite venues and community leisure facilities across Manchester on behalf of Manchester Active.
Athletes receiving the top level of support this year include Amy Truesdale, (Para Taekwondo) and Tully Kearney, Grace Harvey and Michael Jones.
Always striving to expand the range of support for athletes, the next development of the programme is to offer mental wellbeing support through a new partnership with Switch The Play Foundation (STPF). Aspiring and established athletes with GSF awards can access STPF services. This will cover athletes while they are training, competing at the highest level and helping them to prepare for when their athlete careers have finished.
Guests at the Manchester awards evening will hear from Switch The Play about the support they offer to athletes. There will also be a presentation from Manchester Metropolitan University.
About GLL Sport Foundation