Future stars: Sport England announces £120m fund for aspiring Olympic and Paralympic athletes
Sport England has announced a new £120m fund for the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic athletes.
The fresh funding will aim to expand opportunities for young athletes, as well as alleviating inequalities within sport.
The fund’s launch comes after the conclusion of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Games on 11th August, and ahead of the Paralympic Games, which commence on 28th August.
This will be available to athletes over the four-year period from 2025 to 2029.
Sport England’s funding is being delivered through its partnerships with more than 70 sports organisations. This includes a ‘turbo-charging’ of SportsAid’s ‘Backing the Best’ programme, providing an additional £1.5m of National Lottery funding over the next two years.
Team GB’s Keely Hodgkinson, who won gold in the 800m at this summer’s Olympics, was supported by the Backing the Best initiative, which launched in 2016 and offers funding across more than 30 different sports.
According to a 2022 study led by SportsAid, costs for young athletes aiming to finance their sporting potential usually exceed £6,600 each year. This includes travel, accommodation, equipment and coaching costs.
“Access to opportunities is unequal and too often dictated by wealth, postcode and education settings,” said Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of Sport England.
“But we believe that all talented young athletes should have the opportunity to reach the Olympics or Paralympics – regardless of their background, bank balance or postcode.
“Talent pathways also provide opportunities for young people to develop important life skills, like teamwork, resilience and problem-solving.
“All young people deserve to benefit from these skills; their impact lasts far beyond the few athletes that make it to the podium.”
