GLL, the charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op that operates Better leisure centres across Cumbria, is inviting athletes from the region to apply for funding 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.

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

Henrietta Colbourn

In 2025, 102 talented individuals from Cumbria ranging from 8 to 69-years secured awards through the programme totalling £70,000 including Henrietta Colbourn, who is from Eden, trains at Appleby Leisure Centre and races internationally.

Henrietta is a British professional road racing cyclist who in 2025, gained a number of international top 10 results. In 2022, she secured third place on stage 7 of the Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardéche.

Henrietta explained: “Support from the GSF Award is essential to completing off-the-bike body conditioning including interval, strength and stability training to help gain power and prevent injury.

“Training these areas is a necessity for my success. I aspire to race at World Tour level and perform at the highest level in cycling. In 2024 I was diagnosed with a disc hernia which is maintained with a strict physio routine and gaining access to Appleby Leisure Centre is essential for this.”

Lynn Almond, GLL’s Regional Health Intervention Manager for Cumbria, said: “Our GSF Awards have always been about removing barriers and giving talented athletes the opportunity to fulfil their potential, providing a lifeline to individual athletes as well as inspiring other young people in local communities.

"We’re incredibly proud to be supporting athletes across Cumbria and these awards can be truly transformational for sportspeople at a crucial stage in their development. We encourage as many people as possible to look into the scheme and find out how they may benefit from our support."

The GSF Awards support a range of disciplines in Cumbria including BMX racing, rhythmic gymnastics, cricket, tennis, bowls, golf, trampolining, marathon running, taekwondo, cycling, swimming, skiing, triathlon and para-athletics.

The innovative sports programme has for nearly two decades proved a popular and essential support programme for athletes battling the high costs of training, travel and equipment needed for their sporting journey.

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

It has always been a core mission of the GSF programme to support young emerging talent on their sporting journey, with the majority of athletes aged under the age of 21 and the largest cohort under 18 years old. Across the programme, 88% of athletes who receive GSF Awards receive no other funding or athlete support, which underlines the importance of the scheme to its athletes - and to GLL's social values”.

With the success of UK's athletes inspiring national pride as well as widening and deepening the positive impact of sport in local communities, the GSF makes a firm claim to be the most successful independent athlete support programme of its kind in the UK.

The GSF has supported many successful athletes, including Tom Daley, Ellie Simmonds, Anthony Joshua and Kimberley Woods. Past and present GSF athletes won 77 medals at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

With major events such as the Winter Olympics and Commonwealth Games in 2026, the programme continues to inspire both elite performance and community engagement.

The GLL Sport Foundation's Patron is Sally Gunnell, OBE, and partners involved in the programme include; Mary Peters Trust, SportsAid, SportsAid Wales, sponsors from GLL's supply chain and Switch The Play Foundation.

Applications are open until 20th February 2026.

For more information, go to: www.gllsportfoundation.org