(SOUCRE: GLL SPORT FOUNDATION)

GLL Sport Foundation announces £32,650 legacy funding for 43 young fencing stars

A total of 43 young fencers have benefitted from a £32,650 award pot – thanks to charitable social enterprise GLL and its athlete support programme the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF), in partnership with British Fencing.

The Foundation’s Patron Sally Gunnell announced the funding on Wednesday, 25 June at a VIP event held at the landmark ArcelorMittal Orbit on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London. Joining Sally Gunnell at the event was Foundation ambassador and London 2012 Olympic medallist, Tom Daley, alongside a host of young sport stars and senior figures from across sport in the UK.

Explaining how the GSF award will help his sport, James-Andrew Davis, 22, who has made history by recently becoming the first ever British European fencing champion, said, “The GSF award most definately continues to help support my goals of further improvement and ultimately success for myself and British Fencing.”

The young fencers are amongst more than 1500 talented young athletes from across the UK to have benefitted from a £1,000,000 award pot. The athletes supported by the Foundation represent more than 95 Olympic, Paralympic, Deaflympic and Special Olympic sports with 76% of all awards going to athletes aged under 21.

Sally Gunnell explained the core role the Foundation takes in supporting the next generation of athletes and ensuring our sporting legacy for years to come, “It is vitally important we take full advantage of the inspiration from the Games and harness all the talent our youth can offer, supporting them as much as we can to fulfil many sporting dreams.

“From starting out as a young athlete and progressing through my sport, I understand how support from the GLL Sport Foundation is invaluable to a rising star; I am delighted that through this scheme I am able to champion such support for sporting talent.”

The Foundation works in partnership with SportsAid to ensure funding gets to emerging talent. 90% of all award recipients receive no other sport funding. Supported athletes benefit from financial training grants of up to £1,250 as well as training memberships at GLL and partner operated venues. Athletes also have access to further support opportunities targeted towards sports science, performance sport and coaching qualifications.

During the event Tom Daley, awarded a recognition of performance and support award to a new diving sensation, 17 year old Kyle Kothari from Chiltern. This year, Kyle won gold at the British Junior Elite Championships and in doing so achieved the qualification standard for the European and World Junior Championships later in the year. Kyle further achieved senior success by winning silver at the British Senior Diving Championships.

Peter Bundey, Chair of the GLL Sport Foundation, gave recognition to the many people and organisations helping the Foundation, “There has never been a more exciting time to be involved in helping young sporting talent. The success of the Foundation is testament to our network of local authority, sport governing body and university partners”.

“I would also like to thank our partners London Legacy Development Corporation and Cofely – GDF Suez for enabling us to showcase this core legacy event in this iconic venue within Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. In tough economic times we must also express our huge debt of gratitude to all our fantastic sponsors and supporters who fund the programme and finance hundreds of sporting dreams”.

Mark Camley, Executive Director of Park Operations and Venues, said: “We are proud to be supporting the GLL Sport Foundation through our world-class sporting venues on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park. The London Aquatics Centre and Copper Box Arena are exciting venues which enable everyone from grass roots through to professionals such as the London Lions basketball team to enjoy and participate in sport. Hopefully these venues will inspire the next generation of young people to take up and develop a love of sport.”

Joanna Cook, Head of Development Pathway at British Fencing, added; “The support GLL gives to London based talent programme athletes is invaluable in helping them develop as athletes not only with the costs associated with fencing but the additional elements like free gym membership.  We are very grateful to GLL for supporting so many of our athletes.”