Twenty-five local athletes will receive a ‘Springboard Award’ on Thursday 15 May as part of a partnership project to help promising stars reach their full potential.
Award winners receive a £500 cash grant towards training and competition costs and free access to local sports facilities.
Sponsored by Bristol City Council, North Somerset Council, South Gloucestershire Council, Bath and North East Somerset, SportsAid and Burges Salmon Solicitors, the awards are now in their sixth year and have benefited 95 young sporting hopefuls so far.
Hannah Slaney received £500 last year to help her continue her goal to become a competition level climber. She said:
“Springboard has helped me achieve great things this year and my performance is great as I enter the European Cup Series. The best news is that I have been reselected to the Junior British Lead Climbing Team. It is hot off the press and I only found out three weeks ago following a selection event in Austria. Thank- you Springboard for all your support.”
Bristol City Council Strategic Director for Neighbourhoods Alison Comley said:
“These small grants can go a long way to make the journey to national and international success for local athletes that much smoother. To know that you can use your local pool, indoor courts and gyms for free will really help our local athletes succeed in their sport.
“I know that already some are destined for talent squads for team GB and the 2016 Olympics.”
Laura Eddie from SportsAid said: “This has been a really successful scheme that has already helped some excellent athletes and we’d like to help even more. If anyone would like to contribute to their future and help them realise their potential, they should get in touch with us today.”
John Houlden, partner at Burges Salmon, says: “We are delighted to once again have the opportunity to support the Springboard Awards. The fantastic project continues to contribute to the ongoing success of these talented young sportspeople and we are proud to be a partner to such a worthwhile scheme.”
The winners for 2014 are:
- Summer Artman, Netball, Bristol
- Emmanual Bakare, Long Jump, North Somerset
- Maria Budin, Tennis, Bristol
- Ada’Ora, Heptathlon, North Somerset
- Ben Clarke, Swimming, BANES
- William Cole, Swimming, South Glos
- Elise Denner, Synchro Swimming, Bristol
- Laurie Greenland, Cycling, BMX Bristol
- Isabella Hoskins, Alpine Ski Racing, North Somerset
- Rowena Needham, Gymnastics, Bristol
- Myles Nelson, Judo, Bristol
- Robert Phillips, 400m hurdles, South Glos
- Farrah Seyedi, Trampoline, Bristol
- Hannah Slaney, Climbing, Bristol
- Lucas Slowik, Rugby Union, Bristol
- Kathryn Swan, Tennis, Bristol
- Bethany Taylor, Cycling, BANES
- Isabelle Thorpe, Synchro Swimming, Bristol
- Corey Walkes, Trampoline, BANES
- Jack White, Pentathlon, North Somerset
- Adam Wilson, Athletics ,South Glos
- Emily Wright, Athletics, South Glos
- Eleanor Young, Judo, South Glos
- Gabriel Oghre, Rugby Union, Bath
- Josh Phillips, Golf, Bristol.