Aspiring Athletes in York Urged to Apply for GLL's Sports Foundation Funding

The GLL Sports Foundation is inviting young athletes in York to apply for funding awards.

Launched in 2008 with the support of Sally Gunnell OBE (the foundation's patron), The GLL Sports Foundation, the largest athlete support programme of its kind in the UK.

The charitable social enterprise is inviting athletes from York to apply for its funding awards.

These awards include: financial bursaries, free access to gyms, pools, physiotherapy, mental health wellbeing support and other sports facilities.

For almost a decade, the innovative sports programme has proved popular with athletes battling the high costs of equipment, training and travel for their sport.

The GSF has supported many successful British athletes, including Tom Daley, Ellie Simmons, Anthony Joshua and Kimberly Woods.

Past and present GSF athletes won 77 medals in the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

This year marks the enterprise's 18th birthday and to celebrate, the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) Awards 2026 are bigger and better than ever with a record-breaking £2 million of bursaries and 'in kind' support which will enable talented young athletes to take part in the UK's largest scheme of its kind.

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

Awards success stories in York

In 2025, 28 talented individuals from York aged between 10 and 66 years old secured awards through the programme.

Triathlete and personal trainer Lucy Hurn from Haxby was one of the lucky recipients.

Hurn, who trains at York Leisure Centre and Yearsley Swimming Pool had her most successful sporting year last year, completing two Ironman races.

At Ironman Leeds, she achieved a personal best, finishing 2nd in her age group and fulfilling a goal she had for almost a decade, qualifying for the Ironman World Championships.

Speaking on the GSF Awards, Hurn said: "The GSF Award was instrumental in my success last year and I'm incredibly grateful."

She continued saying: "It allowed me to invest in my training and was fundamental to achieving my goal of not only podiuming at Ironman Leeds but qualifying for the Ironman World Championships."

The GSF Awards support a wide range of disciplines in York including swimming, modern pentathlon, athletics, triathlon, ultimate frisbee and wheelchair basketball. 

Natalie Thomas, GLL's Community Sports Manager in York said: "Our GSF Awards provide a lifeline to individual athletes as well as inspiring other young people in local communities."

"We encourage as many talented athletes as possible to look into the scheme and find out how they may benefit from our support."

Get involved

Applications for the awards are open now and will close on 20th February 2026.

All successful applicants will be given access to the 250 sport and leisure centres across the UK operated by GLL under the "Better" trading brand.

For more information about the GLL Sport Foundation and how to apply for their awards, visit: 

GLL Sport Foundation - Athlete Support Programme