GLL Sport Foundation Awards Celebration 2025
Top athletes from South Oxfordshire and the Vale of White Horse took to Didcot Civic Hall on Tuesday 24th June to celebrate the GLL Sport Foundation 2025 South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse Sports Awards.
There were 130 in attendance at the event to celebrate the local sporting talent and the support offered by the GLL Sports Foundation. In South Oxfordshire 73 athletes are benefiting from £52,800 worth of funding with 74% of the athletes not receiving any other central funding and in the Vale of White Horse 58 athletes are supported valuing £36,750 with 86% not receiving any other central funding.
The support covers 18 different sports in the Vale and 26 in South Oxfordshire. This includes basketball, modern pentathlon and skiing as well as less common sports such as ultimate frisbee and wheelchair motor cross. The scheme has a high uptake from younger athletes with 58% being aged under 21 in South Oxfordshire and 64% in the Vale.
Medals and certificates were presented to the athletes by Gary Starkey, Head of Service at GLL, as well as Councillor Georgina Heritage (Cabinet member for communities at South Oxfordshire District Council) and Councillor Eric de le Harpe (Fitness, Activity and Wellbeing Champion at the Vale of White Horse District Council) and all athletes left with a goodie bag of different sporting items.
A real highlight from the evening was the athlete Q&A where Giedre Rakauskaite, Paralympic gold medallist in rowing, and Amelia Richardson, England Junior Captain for Taekwondo, shared their sporting experiences and advice. Both athletes joined the scheme last year with Amelia being an Achievement athlete and Giedre recognised as an Ambassador for the scheme. Attendees were thrilled to be able to take a photo with Giedre’s Tokyo and Paris gold medals after the event.
The scheme continues to grow on a national level with 30,976 athlete awards inclusive of 117 different sports. The total support value is a staggering £17,285,080 which could be possible without its sponsors and key partners including National Governing Bodies, Sports Aid and Additional Athlete Services.