Denbighshire County Council has supported the setting up of a scheme to support talented athletes in the county to achieve their sporting potential.
A county-wide scheme is now being looked into to provide opportunities for grants and support talented young people to take part in sport locally, to develop to their full potential and have the ability and options to reach an elite level in all kinds of sports.
Jamie Groves, Denbighshire’s Head of Leisure, Libraries and Community Development, said: “The path to sporting success can be costly, with travel expenses, facility hire costs, equipment, coaching fees and tournament entry fees all adding up. In today’s climate talented sports people are finding it more difficult to find the means to cover these escalating costs.
“Setting up a scheme to help talented athletes would help remove any barriers to sporting success, get more people involved in sport, greater dialogue with voluntary sports groups and recognise the opportunity to support emerging talent within the county.”
“We already have a wealth of talent in Denbighshire that have delivered at a national level. Having a Talented Athlete Grant would also maximise the legacy opportunities of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and encourage more people to take an active interest in sport and healthier lifestyles”.
Councillor Raymond Bartley of Denbigh, who spoke at the Full Council meeting today, said: “Members have been concerned about the gap in provision across the county to support talented athletes. Young people often need to travel miles to access training and competition facilities in places like Cardiff and Manchester and this can be costly.
“That is why I’m pleased that the Council is proactively looking at helping our young people through making grant funding available and providing the support needed to help our talented young people succeed on a national stage.”
