Cambridgeshire athletes invited to apply for GLL Sport Foundation Awards 2026

The GSF Awards 2026 offer financial bursaries alongside free access to local Better leisure facilities, as well as physiotherapy, lifestyle mentoring, and mental health and wellbeing support, helping athletes manage the costs of training and competition.

Last year, 29 Cambridgeshire athletes benefited from a GSF Award, including 12-year-old ice skater, Caterina Morena Nus. Speaking about the impact of the award, Caterina said:

“Winning a GLL Sport Foundation Award has really helped my parents with the cost of my training and has motivated me to work even harder at my sport. This year I increased my training sessions and achieved a top eight place at the British Ice Dance Championships 2025 in the Juvenile category, as well as becoming a member of the GB Pre-Novice Development Squad for Free Skating.

“I’m also really excited to be learning and landing my double jumps, which will help me progress in my skating career. These achievements have shown me that anything is possible if you believe in yourself, and I’d really encourage others to apply for an award next year.”

Celebrating its 18th Year, the GLL Sport Foundation Awards 2026 are bigger than ever, with a record-breaking £2m of bursaries and 'in kind' support available to talented young athletes across the UK.

The GSF has supported many successful athletes over the years, including Tom Daley, Ellie Simmonds, Anthony Joshua and Kimberley Woods. Past and present GSF athletes won 77 medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

By April 2026, over 35,000 athlete awards and almost £20million worth of support will have been distributed to aspiring sportsmen and women since the scheme's first awards in 2008.

Commenting on the launch of the GSF Awards 2026 in Cambridgeshire, GLL Partnership Manager Daryl Emes said: “Our GSF Awards provide a lifeline to individual athletes while inspiring other young people in local communities. We encourage as many talented Cambridgeshire athletes as possible to apply and see how the scheme could support their sporting journey.

“We’re delighted to see Caterina progressing in her chosen sport and proud to be supporting her as she reaches new heights. We wish her a great year ahead in 2026.”

Supporting young emerging talent has always been a core mission of the GSF programme, with most recipients aged under 21 and the largest cohort under 18. Across the programme, 88% of athletes receive no other funding or support, underlining the importance of the scheme.

Applications are open now and close on 20 February 2026.

For more information, click: https://www.gllsportfoundation.org/