Talented athletes in Cornwall 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, lifestyle mentoring and mental health wellbeing support.
Celebrating its 18th year, the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) Awards 2026 are now bigger and better than ever. A record-breaking £2m of bursaries and ‘in kind’ support for 2026 will enable talented young athletes to take part in the UK’s largest scheme of its kind.
In 2025, 144 Cornwall-based athletes, representing 23 sports, received GSF support worth £92,150. 72% of them got no other central funding, more than half were under the age of 21, 27% were under 16 and 8% of them were living with disabilities.
Among those collecting awards were European modern pentathlete gold medallist Naomi Hawkins, 15, from Devoran; number one nationally ranked para surfer Pegleg Bennett, 55, from St Agnes; world number one paddleboarder Andrew Byatt, 44, from Perranporth; number one nationally ranked ice swimmer Samantha Day, 42, from Liskeard; number one nationally ranked surf skier Alis-Me Edwards, 15, from West Cornwall; world number two triathlete Theresa Frost, 69, from Newquay and number one nationally ranked surf lifesaver Emilia Hogget-Crisp, 16, from Hayle.
Operating under the Better brand, GLL is the charitable social enterprise and co-operative that runs nine sport and leisure facilities in Cornwall on behalf of the council. Successful GSF applicants are given free access to them and hundreds of other Better leisure facilities across the UK.
With the success of UK’s athletes inspiring national pride as well as widening and deepening the positive impact of sport in local communities, GSF makes a firm claim to be the most successful independent athlete support programme of its kind in the UK.
Recipients have included Tom Daley, Ellie Simmonds, Anthony Joshua and Kimberley Woods, and past and present GSF athletes won 77 medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Sally Gunnell OBE is GSF patron and partners involved in the programme include Mary Peters Trust, SportsAid, SportsAid Wales, sponsors from GLL’s supply chain and Switch The Play Foundation.
Sally Gunnell commented: “Young athletes in the UK have never needed support as much as they do today.
“The GSF programme grows each year – with many recipients becoming household names. I’m looking forward to meeting the sports stars of tomorrow who are starting or continuing their sporting journeys with GSF in 2026.”
Commenting on the launch of the GSF Awards 2026, Cornwall’s Head of Service James Curry said: “Our GSF Awards provide a lifeline to individual athletes as well as inspiring other young people in our Cornwall community.
“We encourage as many talented athletes as possible to look into the scheme and find out how they may benefit from our support.”
Applications close on 20th February 2026. For more information, go to the website.