News

For many visitors to Lee Valley VeloPark, Joanne Ryan is a friendly face helping guests make the most of their day. But beyond her role as a concierge, Joanne is quietly achieving extraordinary success on the international athletics stage. Training r... (more)

From 6–22 February, Team GB’s winter athletes took to the world stage at the Olympic Winter Games in Milan and Cortina, and among them were 12 past and present GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) supported athletes who delivered performances to be proud of. T... (more)

Celebrating its 18th Year, the UK's largest independent athlete award programme - The GLL Sport Foundation Awards 2026 - closes its application window on 20 February. A record-breaking £2m of bursaries and 'in kind' support for 2026 will enable talen... (more)

The GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) is incredibly proud to congratulate the 12 outstanding past and present supported athletes who have been selected to represent Team GB at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, taking place from Friday 6 Febru... (more)

On Monday 19th January GLL, alongside local mental health social prescriber and GSF athlete Alex Goulding hosted a truly inspirational event at Robinsons Pool and Fitness.  The overall aim of the event was fivefold: - Bring together a wide variety of... (more)

DAUGHTER OF CROYDON JUDO DYNASTY TRIUMPHS! Fellow Athletes Urged to Apply for Funding Sixteen-year-old Lizzy Merredew has been crowned judo’s British Champion in the U52kg category following a gruelling tournament at the end of last year. In some way... (more)

ROLL UP, ROLL UP! RICHMOND ATHLETES URGED TO REGISTER FOR FUNDING Some of Richmond’s most accomplished athletes visited Pools on the Park leisure centre last week to celebrate the launch of GLL’s Sport Foundation in the borough. The Foundation (GSF)... (more)

Talented athletes from 70 areas across the UK are invited to apply for support from the largest athlete support programme of its kind in the UK. Awards include financial bursaries, free access to gyms, pools and other sports facilities, physiotherapy... (more)

At 94 years young, Morden Leisure Centre’s own Jane Asher has again made waves, this time with her induction into the Swim England Hall of Fame. Jane, a beloved regular at Morden, is already a legend: a British Masters swimmer who has amassed over 20... (more)

GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) athletes, both past and present, delivered outstanding performances on the global stage at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, India which was held 27 September – 5 October 2025. Competing against the ... (more)

From the 29th September to the 4th October 2025, 8 GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) past and present athletes from Lee Valley Regional Park Authority delivered an outstanding series of performances at the 2025 ICF Canoe Slalom and Kayak Cross World Champio... (more)

GSF Sponsor Engagement Day Celebrates £17million worth of support over 17 Years Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL hosted its ever-popular GLL Sport Foundation Sponsor Engagement Day on 18 September - returning to Panshanger Golf... (more)

The GLL Sport Foundation (GSF), the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme, proudly celebrates the achievements of its athletes at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. The Championships, held from 13-21 September 2025, ... (more)

The World Athletics Championships in Tokyo continue to showcase incredible performances from GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) past and present supported athletes, with impressive performances so far and plenty more to look forward to in the days ahead. Day... (more)

GLL Renews Partnership with Wellhub and Welcomes the Company as a Sponsor of the GLL Sport Foundation Charitable social enterprise leisure operator GLL, has renewed its contract with corporate wellness platform Wellhub, giving Wellhub users expanded... (more)

The GLL Sport Foundation (GSF), the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme, is celebrating the outstanding achievement of its athletes who have been selected to represent Team GB at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. ... (more)

GLL Sport Foundation Empowers 29 Cambridgeshire Athletes with 2025 Awards In a powerful show of support for emerging athletic talent, charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-operative GLL has announced that 29 athletes from Cambridgeshire wi... (more)

Great Britain's Kimberley Woods sealed a gold double at the Canoe Slalom World Cup final in Augsburg, Germany. Kimberley won the canoe event on Saturday 24 hours after triumphing in the women's kayak single (K1). She finished ahead of Brazilian run... (more)

GSF Athlete Eugene Amo-Dadzie moved to joint fifth on the all-time European men’s 100m list with a blistering personal best of 9.87 (+2.0m/s) at Lee Valley, London on Saturday (30). It was also a European lead for the 33-year-old athlete who will rep... (more)

GSF’s Maggie Cotter is celebrating this week after winning a silver medal and a bronze medal as part of Team GB at the World Transplant Games in Dresden, Germany that concluded on 24 August. She was one of 267 Team GB transplant athletes, including 2... (more)

The Wilkinson family, a remarkable trio of athletes from GSF, delivered a standout performance at the National Biathlete Championships on Sunday - the key qualifying event for the upcoming World Championships. Evie Wilkinson stormed to 1st place in h... (more)

On Wednesday night at Botwell Green Sports and Leisure Centre, we came together to celebrate the GLL Sport Foundation 2025 Awardees from Hillingdon. We were privileged to have the Mayor of Hillingdon, Councillor Phillip Corthorne, alongside Colin Cou... (more)

Nine rising stars supported by the GLL Sport Foundation proudly represented their Country at the European Youth Summer Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Skopje, North Macedonia, from 20–26 July 2025. Competing across seven different sports, these young athl... (more)

Over 100 Cumbrian athletes will be supported by a foundation dedicated to helping them succeed. The GLL Sports Foundation, run by charitable social enterprise GLL, said 102 athletes, ranging from eight to 69 years old, from the county will receive a ... (more)

Seventeen talented athletes from Welwyn and Hatfield are set to benefit from a £12,250 funding boost. The money, awarded by charitable social enterprise GLL at an award event at Panshanger Golf Club on Tuesday, July 17, will benefit athletes from se... (more)

On Monday 14th July, Enfield Partnership held its second GLL sports foundation awards evening to highlight the achievements and successes of local talented athletes from across the partnership. To highlight the emerging sporting achievements of the b... (more)

The GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) is proud to announce that nine of our supported athletes, past and present have been selected to represent Team GB and Team Ireland at the prestigious European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF) in Skopje, North Macedonia, t... (more)

Last night our annual GLL Sports Foundation awards evening took place at the Broadway Theatre Catford.  This is the 4th year we have run an awards night having seen the programme grow from 40 recipients in year 1 to 102 this year.  37 supported athl... (more)

On Monday 7th July, Reading celebrated its 84 successful GLL Sport Foundation athletes for 2025-26. The awards celebration took place at The University of Reading and had 97 athletes and guests in attendance.  In Reading, there are 84 Athletes benef... (more)

Top athletes from West Oxfordshire took to the Corn Exchange on Thursday 3rd July to celebrate the GLL Sport Foundation 2025 West Oxfordshire Sports Awards. There were 70 in attendance at the event to celebrate the local sporting talent and the suppo... (more)

On Thursday 26th June, Tadworth Leisure & Community Centre proudly hosted the Reigate & Banstead GLL Sport Foundation celebration event, recognising the outstanding achievements of local athletes supported by the Foundation. The event was attended by... (more)

Morden Leisure Centre Hosts Celebration for Local Athletes Supported by GLL Sport Foundation On Wednesday 2nd July, Morden Leisure Centre hosted the London Borough of Merton GLL Sport Foundation celebration event, recognising the outstanding achievem... (more)

Callywith College in Bodmin has staged the second largest GLL Sports Foundation (GSF) awards evening in the UK. 144 Cornwall-based athletes, representing 23 sports, have received GSF support worth £92,150. 72% of them get no other central funding, mo... (more)

36 talented athletes from Kensington & Chelsea to benefit from over £23,000 worth of support as the GLL Sport Foundation announces its 2025/26 athlete cohort Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL have announced 36 athletes from Kens... (more)

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 eve... (more)

Twenty-eight athletes from across Bedford have been awarded a share of £18,900 in the latest awarding of GLL’s Sport Foundation grants, including 62-year old swimmer, Maggie Cotter who has returned to the water after receiving a kidney and liver tran... (more)

Hackney’s young athletes were in the spotlight on the 24th June at the GLL Sports Foundation Awards Evening, held at the scenic West Reservoir Centre. The event celebrated the achievements of 26 local sports stars, all supported through this year’s H... (more)

71 talented athletes from Bath and North East Somerset to benefit from over £50,000 worth of support as the GLL Sport Foundation announces its 2025/26 athlete cohort Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL have announced 71 athletes f... (more)

Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL have announced 38 athletes from Hammersmith & Fulham will benefit from the 2025 intake of its GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) – the largest independent athlete award programme in the UK. Now in its 1... (more)

Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL have announced 54 athletes from Islington will benefit from the 2025 intake of its GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) – the largest independent athlete award programme in the UK.  Now in its 17th year t... (more)

On Wednesday 18th June 2025, Barnet Copthall Leisure Centre hosted the annual GLL Sports Foundation awards evening to celebrate the acceptance of Barnet-based athletes onto the largest independent athlete award programme in the UK. The GLL Sports Fou... (more)

28 talented athletes from York to benefit from over £18,000 worth of support as the GLL Sport Foundation announces its’ 2025/2026 cohort.    Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL have announced 28 athletes from York will benefit fro... (more)

28 talented athletes from Mole Valley to benefit from over £18,250.00 worth of support as the GLL Sport Foundation announces its 2025/26 athlete cohort. Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL have announced 28 athletes from Mole Vall... (more)

Last night, the Camden community came together for a truly inspiring evening at the annual Camden GLL Sport Foundation Awards, hosted at Acland Burghley School’s Hall for All. The event welcomed 52 attendees, including 15 exceptional GSF athletes, fo... (more)

41 talented athletes from Swindon to benefit from over £30,000 worth of support as the GLL Sport Foundation announces its 2025/26 athlete cohort.  Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL have announced 41 athletes from Swindon will b... (more)

The GLL Sport Foundation is the UK’s largest independent athlete support programme and provides financial help, access to sport facilities, physiotherapy, lifestyle mentoring and mental health support. The scheme demonstrates GLL’s social values and ... (more)

On the evening of Tuesday 3 June, Lee Valley hosted their third annual GSF celebration event at Lee Valley White Water Centre. This is the third group of talented athletes to be support by the Foundation and see’s athletes from as young as 8 and up t... (more)

Erin O’Flaherty, a wheelchair racer from Addiscombe, was one of a host of talented athletes celebrating Croydon’s GLL Sport Foundation awards yesterday evening at Ashburton Hall. The event – which marked the announcement of the local sportspeople who... (more)

GLL, the UK’s leading charitable social enterprise operating under the Better brand, has celebrated its ongoing partnership with Manchester City Council by recognising the 2025 cohort of GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) recipients in the city. At a special... (more)

GLL, the charitable social enterprise that operates Belfast’s 16 leisure centres under its Better brand in partnership with Belfast City Council, has marked the 10th anniversary of its arrival in Belfast with a ceremony reflecting on its decade in th... (more)