Last chance to apply for support from Halo Sport Foundation

Local athletes can follow in the footsteps of their Olympic and Paralympic heroes by applying for support from the Halo Sport Foundation.

Applications close on Monday 20 February and the foundation offers crucial support such as the offer of free membership at Halo’s sport and leisure facilities. Financial support will also be awarded to some successful applicants.

Those supported by the scheme in the past include Paralympic Gold-medallist Aled Davies OBE and former world champion triathlete Helen Jenkins.

The initiative is also open to disabled athletes and over 100 local people are currently being supported by the scheme.

The foundation is open to several sports including triathlon, swimming, shooting, gymnastics, para table tennis, judo, deaf rugby, rugby, waterpolo, netball, basketball, taekwondo, athletics, rowing, surfing, canoeing, squash and tennis. Other sports that are recognised by Sport Wales will also be considered.

The eligibility criteria is:

• Supported athletes must live/be educated (school, college, university) within Bridgend County Borough.
• Be a member of an affiliated club that has a training base within Bridgend County Borough.
• You should be competing within Olympic, Paralympic, Deaflympic and Special Olympic sporting disciplines or an Olympic inspired sport.
• Applications are open to any age group; however, the scheme is aimed at supporting young talented athletes.

Simon Gwynne, Halo Partnership Manager, said: “We see the foundation as an opportunity to put something back into the community that has supported us so well.

“As well as offering free training opportunities, we also plan to host a range of masterclasses from guest speakers in subjects such as achieving sporting excellence, performance, nutrition, and sporting psychology to aspiring athletes.”

The Halo Sport Foundation is a brilliant opportunity for aspiring athletes to access vital support which will help to give them the best chance of succeeding in their chosen sport.

Those applying will be following in the footsteps of some of the county borough’s most decorated sport stars and it’s particularly pleasing to see that the foundation is open to disabled athletes as well as covering a wide range of sports.

Cllr Rhys Goode, Cabinet Member for Future Generations and Wellbeing

Application forms and more information can be found on the Halo Sport Foundation website.