Talented young athletes face significant costs on their journey, from coaching and equipment to competition fees, travel and accommodation. In self-funded sports, many rely on family support and sponsorship, but rising costs can force difficult decisions about whether they can continue to train and compete.
At Snowsport England, we are committed to supporting athletes wherever we can. Below is a list of schemes, grants, and organisations that offer a range of financial and practical support, helping to ease the financial burden.
ATHLETE FINANCIAL SUPPORT
SPORTSAID AWARDS
SportsAid provides financial support to talented athletes to help reduce the cost of training and competing. Working alongside national governing bodies, SportsAid delivers two different grant programmes for developing athletes: SportsAid Awards and Backing the Best.
GLL Sports Foundation
The GLL Sport Foundation aims to support talented athletes to develop sport performance and achieve sporting success. Applications are open annually from December until February and athletes' support begins in April each year.
Athletes receive financial support through awards ranging from £200 to £1250, alongside training membership support, sport science support and optional qualifications and development opportunities.
To qualify for an award, athletes must have a direct link to where GLL operate sport and leisure venues and compete within performance sport from a regional to international level.
More information on the GLL Sport Foundation website.
Everyone Active Sporting Champions
Everyone Active’s Sporting Champions scheme was launched in 2016 with the aim of providing ongoing support for talented athletes across the UK. The scheme offers both monetary funding and access to Everyone Active’s 150 leisure centres across the country.
ALPINE 100
Alpine100 is a snowsports specific funding body, created to raise money for aspiring winter sports athletes. Applications can be made at any time of year and are reviewed monthly.
Visit the Alpine100 website for more information.
OTHER RESOURCES
ACTIVE PARTNERSHIPS
An easy way to find out about funding opportunities available to you is to contact your local County Sports Partnership. The Active Partnerships website has a handy tool to search for contacts in your region.
Local AUTHORITY GRANTS
Some local authorities run their own talented athlete schemes, offering financial support or facility access to resident athletes. It’s advisable to contact them directly to check what support or funding may be available. Find your local authority here.
CROWD FUNDING
Crowdfunding can be a powerful tool for generating financial support, especially if you’re looking for help to fund a particular event – like major championships.
There are now a number of sports-focused websites such as Make A Champ that are free to use in return for a small fee per donation.
Sport England provides some general advice, as well as the pros and cons of crowd funding for sports.