Funds available to support young athletes. Pic: Flickr

Athletes in Tower Hamlets, Greenwich and Crystal Palace will have the chance to receive funding of up to £1,250 from the Greenwich Leisure Limited Sport Foundation, the largest independent athlete support programme in the UK.

GLL provided grants for 64 athletes from Tower Hamlets across 24 sporting disciplines in 2015. Mercy Brown, a weightlifter who broke three British records in 2013, was one of the recipients. She said: “GLL has been a funding source that has been helping me from the very start of my lifting career and has been so helpful in achieving many of my goals.”

With the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games due to take place this summer, the programme encourages and supports young athletes who live or train in the boroughs partnered with GLL.

Beyond the financial support, athletes will have access to 70 sports and leisure facilities managed by GLL. Applications can be made through their website and the closing date for submissions is February 20.