Budding athletes can apply for funding to help with coaching and training costs

Applications are now opened for talented young sports men and women across Tower Hamlets to apply for funding from the GLL Sports Foundation (GSF) to aid their coaching and training costs.
The GLL Sports Foundation Fund is an independent athlete support scheme which works in partnership with national charity SportsAid to support the next generation of sporting talent.
In 2013 the GSF supported 1,300 athletes to achieve sporting success including local Tower Hamlets weightlifter Mercy Brown, 17, who won two bronze medals at the European Youth Weightlifting Championship in Lithuania.
The funds hope to address the obstacles and barriers athletes face in reaching the top. Last year 90% of the recipients received no other centralised funding while research by SportsAid showed their average annual expenditure is more than £6,000.
Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: “We have some fantastic leisure facilities and open spaces in the borough. I am pleased these awards are allowing our talented young athletes the prospects of reaching the top.”
Cabinet member for culture, Cllr Rania Khan, said: “I would encourage any promising future athletes to take advantage of this opportunity which can help ease the financial burden and let them focus on their chosen sport.”
To apply and find out further details of the scheme please go to the GSF website at www.gllsportfoundation.org. Applications for 2014 awards are open until Thursday, February 20.