Top south London athletes are being urged to sign up for this year’s GLL’s Sport Foundation awards.
The foundation, the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme, helps athletes with travel costs and equipment alongside free access to local ‘Better’ leisure facilities. There is £2m in support available this year and applications close on 20 February.
Past recipients include champions Tom Daley, Ellie Simmonds, Anthony Joshua and Daryll Neita. In 2024, GSF athletes amassed 77 medals at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics.
The Foundation is run by charitable social enterprise GLL which operates leisure facilities in the south London boroughs of Greenwich, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Lewisham, Merton, Richmond, and Sutton under the ‘Better’ brand in partnership with local councils.
Athletes are being encouraged to apply for support to help them progress in their sporting careers. The financial demands of travel, kit and food, alongside physio and gym access, can mount up quickly, so any support can go a
long way in helping them stay on top of their sport.
In Lewisham, judo champion Maria Moss, explains: “Being supported by the foundation will help me to compete internationally – which I need to be able to qualify for the next Olympics. A ‘gi’ – specialist judo suit – costs between £200 and £300. My family doesn’t have a lot of money so the funding is a great help.”
Para-athlete and wheelchair racer Erin O’Flaherty has been supported by the foundation in Croydon for a couple of years. “Wheelchair racing is an expensive sport,” she points out, “So I am very grateful for the award. It allows me to train for free. I would tell other young people, ‘chase your dreams and don’t give’ up!”
For further information on how to apply for support in any GLL area, visit –
https://www.gllsportfoundation.org/