Talented athletes in Reading 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, 84 Reading-based athletes, representing 20 different sports, received GSF support worth £55,400. 80% of them had no other central funding, 69% were under the age of 21 and 33% were under 16.
Among those collecting awards were rower and Olympic Bronze Medallist Rowan McKellar, 30; junior England badminton player Anushka Ambrose, 15; junior British climbing champion Mia Gallagher, 15; tennis player Fraser Acteson, 16; junior athlete Jaxon Kennedy, 12; taekwondo athlete Samar Chana, 12, and British canoeist Olivier Mazur, 17.
Operating under the Better brand, GLL is the charitable social enterprise and co-operative that runs four sport and leisure facilities in Reading 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, Reading Partnership Manager Craig Woodward said: “Our GSF Awards provide a lifeline to individual athletes as well as inspiring other young people in our Reading 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.