TALENTED young sports men and women from the South Hams are being encouraged to apply for a financial award of up to £1,250 to further their training.

Each of the successful applicants will benefit from financial and or training awards. Financial awards will support athletes’ associated travel, competition and equipment costings during the next 12 months.

Recipients will also benefit from sports performance support and training awards that allow free sporting access to more than 200 sport and leisure venues.

The funding is thanks to Tone Leisure in partnership with the GLL Sport Foundation - the largest independent athlete support programme in the UK.

In 2015, GSF supported 1,700 athletes across 105 sporting disciplines and with over 90% of award recipients receiving no other centralised funding support, the programme is focussed on supporting athletes with the right support at the right time along their sporting journey.

With the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games just around the corner, the programme is supporting athletes who will look to compete at these games, including ambassadors Tom Daley, Dina Asher-Smith, Aled Davies and Lutalo Muhammad.

Lutalo, Team GB taekwondo athlete explains the impact the programme has made to his journey: ‘When I first started to compete internationally GSF was my only source of funding and I can sincerely say ‘but for’ them I would not of transitioned from a skinny kid who loved sport to an Olympic medallist.’

The programme is equally focussed on athletes who are aiming for the 2020 and 2024 Games and with over 70% of award recipients being aged under 21 the focus is on the next generation of sporting talent.

Sally Gunnell OBE, GSF patron and former concurrent Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth 400m hurdles title holder explains: ‘From my own experience, starting out as a young athlete and progressing through my sport, I understand how important support from the foundation is to the realisation of sporting ambitions. Through the programme we are providing the next generation of athletes with tangible support to make a real difference to their sporting journeys.’

GSF Chairman, Peter Bundey states: ‘It is crucial that we support the talent and enthusiasm of our young sporting stars. We can help young athletes bridge the difficult leap from regional to national and international level as they start to become ready for senior competition.’

The GSF was launched in 2008 by Sally Gunnell at the House of Commons. Since then, the programme has provided over 8,700 athlete awards with support worth over £4.9million to athletes across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To find out further details of the scheme and apply please go to the GSF website at www.gllsportfoundation.org. Applications are open until Saturday, February 20.