Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL have announced 61 athletes from Swindon will benefit from the 2026 intake of its GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) – the largest independent athlete award programme in the UK.
Now in its 18th year the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) has so far contributed over £19m worth of athlete funding and support and distributed over 34,000 awards to young and talented athletes in 83 areas of the UK where GLL operate and across 121 different sports.
At a GSF Awards Event held at Link Centre on 18th June, athletes and partners gathered to hear how this year's athlete award fund of £44,620 will help support talented athletes on their sporting journey.
The GSF supports athletes through financial bursaries, access to physical rehabilitation and mental wellbeing support and all athletes are also given access to over 250 sport and leisure facilities across the UK operated by GLL under its "BETTER" brand. These include Link Centre and Health Hydro in Swindon.
Over 18 years, the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) has continued to be at the forefront of developing local young athletic talent with the majority of athletes under the age of 21 and on average 87% of athletes receive no other funding or athlete support, which underlines the importance of the scheme to up and coming athletes.
GLL’s recent research shows that many talented athletes struggle to realise their dreams of sporting glory due to rising costs of equipment, training, physiotherapy, travel and nutrition. For them, a GSF Award can be the lifeline to staying in training and meeting their potential.
Local GSF athletes in Swindon include para swimmer Suzanna Hext and para bobsleigher Corie Mapp.
GSF National Ambassadors include Alex Yee, Kimberley Woods, Tulley Kearny, Louise Fiddes, Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson and amongst GSF Alumni are Tom Daley, Ellie Simmonds, Daryl Neita and Anthony Joshua.
Partnership Manager Barnaby Rich said “It was wonderful to hear such inspiring stories at the presentation event from these local talented athletes. We are pleased to help support them on their sporting journey, especially as 92% of them receive no other funding”.
