3234 talented athletes from 69 areas in the UK to benefit from £2.23m of support as the GLL Sport Foundation announces its 2026/27 athlete cohort

Charitable social enterprise and worker-owned co-op GLL has announced a record-breaking 3234 athletes from across the UK will benefit from the 2026 intake of its GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) – the largest independent athlete award programme in the UK.

Now in its 18th year, the GLL Sport Foundation has so far contributed nearly £20m worth of athlete funding and support and distributed nearly 35,000 awards to young and talented athletes in 69 areas of the UK where GLL operate and across 121 different sports.

With 86% of this year's cohort receiving no other form of funding - up 3% from 2025 - it outlines the significant contribution the athlete programme makes against the challenge of the ongoing cost of living crisis. 

Over 18 years, the GLL Sport Foundation (GSF) has continued to be at the forefront of developing local young athletic talent with 63% of athletes under the age of 21.

GLL’s own research shows that many talented athletes struggle to realise their dreams of sporting glory due to rising costs of equipment, training, physiotherapy, travel and nutrition. For them, a GSF Award can be the lifeline to staying in training and meeting their potential.

At the National GSF Awards Launch Event held at London's Copper Box Arena on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on 6 May, athletes and partners gathered to hear how this year's GSF athlete award fund of £2.23m will help support talented athletes on their sporting journey.

The GSF supports athletes through financial bursaries, access to physical rehabilitation and mental wellbeing support and all athletes are also given access to over 250 sport and leisure facilities across the UK operated by GLL under its "BETTER" brand.

37% of GSF 2026's cohort are new applicants - showing the successful growth and reach of the scheme across communities in Northern Ireland, Wales and England. 

Current GSF National Ambassadors include Joe Clarke, Kimberley Woods, Tulley Kearny, Louise Fiddes, Lilah Fear, Lewis Gibson and Daryl Neita.   Amongst GSF Alumni are Tom Daley, Ellie Simmonds and Anthony Joshua.

GSF athletes represented Team GB at the Winter Olympics 2026 in Milano-Cortina and will also take their marks at the Commonwealth Games 2026 in Glasgow this summer. 

GSF patron Sally Gunnell OBE said: “It's fantastic to see the GLL Sport Foundation announcing its largest ever award cohort in 2026.

"The support continues to make a difference to young athletes at precisely the point in their careers when they most need it - keeping them training and focused on success. I wish them the very best of luck in their sporting careers."

GSF chair and GLL CEO Peter Bundey said: “GLL is a successful worker-owned cooperative and charitable social enterprise that has brought growing impact to public services and local communities over 33 years of successful operation.

“Our GLL Sport Foundation remains central to our remit to widen and deepen opportunities available to talented young athletes and build a legacy through sport.

“Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and our own purposed business model we are delighted to announce a record 3234 athletes will benefit from the programme this year. I want to wish them every success and we look forward to seeing them in competition here and abroad in years to come."

Speaking at the launch, GSF legacy ambassador Ellie Simmonds, OBE, who uses Better's Swiss Cottage Leisure Centre for her training said: “It’s amazing that GLL continues to support younger, up-and-coming athletes with free access to their sports facilities."

Last year, charitable social enterprise GLL embarked on a new partnership with The Felix Project, London’s largest food redistribution charity.

Six months on, and the collaboration has proved to be a resounding success. Approximately 76 tonnes of fresh produce has been handed out to the capital’s residents via GLL-run leisure centres – an amount that equals more than 180,000 free meals.

GLL runs sports facilities in Greater London under the ‘Better’ brand in partnership with local authorities. Meanwhile, The Felix Project and FareShare works with the food industry - rescuing high-quality, surplus food that cannot be sold and would otherwise go to waste - and redistributing it to people living in food insecurity.

As two non-profit-making organisations, GLL and The Felix Project and FareShare have a particularly harmonious relationship as both are committed to supporting the health and wellbeing of local communities.

So far, Felix Fresh pop-up markets have been hosted at ‘Better’ facilities in the boroughs of Barnet, Croydon, Enfield, Greenwich, Hackney, Lewisham, Newham and Waltham Forest – all areas which have been identified as having residents on some of the lowest incomes in London.

These events have succeeded due to real collective effort between the two organisations. Colleagues from ‘Better’ have ‘mucked in’ with workers from Felix - between them, giving out food parcels to individuals and community groups in record time.

The giveaways have also provided an opportunity for Better staff to tell customers about other initiatives such as the Holiday and Food schemes (HAF) and Healthwise.

Colin Coughtrey, GLL’s national community engagement manager, comments, “It’s been a privilege to work alongside The Felix Project and Fareshare over the past six months. From day one, it was clear that our values are closely aligned, with a shared commitment to supporting communities, tackling inequality, and improving health and wellbeing.

“Together, we’ve been able to reach thousands of residents with vital support, not only providing access to nutritious food but also connecting people to wider services within our centres.

“This partnership is a powerful example of what can be achieved through collaboration, and we’re incredibly proud of the impact so far. We look forward to building on this success and continuing to support communities together in the months ahead.”

GLL leisure centres in the boroughs of Camden, Hillingdon, and Islington are currently making plans to collaborate with Felix in the coming months.

Rachel Ledwith, head of communities at The Felix Project and FareShare, contributes, “I cannot thank GLL enough for all their support. Every year, during harvest season, huge amounts of healthy, homegrown fruit and vegetables are at risk of going to waste.

“Felix Fresh is helping us to combat this, but we are only able to do it when we have the right partners in place. GLL is exactly that - because of them, so many people and families are getting free, healthy food and helping us to reduce food waste. We look forward to more success over the next 6 months.”

Team England is delighted to announce a new partnership with GLL, the UK’s largest charitable leisure social enterprise, as preparations build toward the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games.

The partnership brings together two organisations with a shared mission: helping people across England get active, discover new sports and feel part of something bigger. Through its network of Better leisure centres, GLL supports millions of visits every year, and will now play a major role in connecting communities to Team England in the lead‑up to the Games.

At the heart of the partnership is the Team England National Sports Weekend, taking place on 18th – 19th July 2026 across GLL venues nationwide. The weekend will open the doors to Commonwealth sports, offering free or low‑cost sessions, coaching and taster activities for local communities. Around 300,000 people are expected to take part, giving families, young people and new participants the chance to try something different, get closer to the spirit of this year’s Commonwealth Games, and meet some Team England legends.

Speaking about the partnership, Mark Osikoya, CEO of Commonwealth Games England, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with GLL who are an organisation that share our belief in the power of sport to bring people together. With their incredible reach into communities across England, this partnership will help more people feel connected to Team England and inspired by the journey to Glasgow 2026.”

Peter Bundey, CEO of GLL, added: “GLL is proud to support Team England and to help open up Commonwealth sports to people of all ages and abilities. The National Sports Weekend will be a fantastic celebration of movement, community and opportunity. We can’t wait to welcome thousands of people into our centres this summer.”

GLL has a long track record of supporting both elite and community sports, from backing the London 2012 Games bid to operating Olympic venues in legacy mode.  In 2008 it launched the GLL Sport Foundation, to help talented young athletes facing financial hardship.  To date the Foundation has provided over 35,000 awards and almost £20million worth of support to aspiring sportsmen and women. 

• London Fields Lido (Hackney) – 97 swims, £11,914.56
• Charlton Lido (Greenwich) - 88 swims, £4898,50
• Yearsley Swimming Pool (York) - 66 swims, £2762.50
• Parkside Pools (Cambridge) - 65 swims, £4671.49
• East Manchester Leisure Centre – 28 swims, £2591.61

Swimathon president Duncan Goodhew is celebrating 50 years since becoming an Olympian.  He visited GLL's London Fields Lido on Saturday 21 March to cheer on challenge fundraisers. He commented: "Thanks to GLL and all our pool operator hosts for supporting their community swimmers young and old to raise much-needed funds for Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie during Swimathon 2026.

"In our 40th anniversary year, Swimathon more than ever exemplifies the collective positive energy of the UK's swimming community and the benefits swimming brings." 

Better colleagues, customers and councillors from the London Borough of Richmond came together yesterday for the unveiling of new, upgraded facilities at the Pools on the Park leisure centre.

Improvements include a brand-new, multi-purpose studio – doubling capacity for popular spin classes and other activities – and refurbished café toilets.

Simon Sen, Better’s Director of Operations, attended the event and commented, “Better and Richmond Council are very much aligned in seeing good quality leisure facilities as key to public health and wellbeing.

“We are an experienced operator that adds value to public services because our operating model reinvests our surpluses. This is just the beginning. Leisure customers will notice further improvements to come in the look and feel of facilities and programmes going forward.”

Richmond councillors Alan Juriansz and Julia Neden-Watts also joined the celebrations. Cllr Juriansz - Lead Member for Sport – added, “This is the start of significant investment in the health and wellbeing of our communities.

“By upgrading Pools on the Park, we’re creating more space, more opportunities, and better facilities for residents to stay active. It’s about making it easier for everyone to take part – now and in the future.”

The investment forms part of a wider drive to promote healthier, more active communities. These latest works are part of a wider investment in the centre. Proposed improvements include refurbishment of the gym area and changing rooms, improvements to swimming pool area and sauna and steam provision.

Pools on the Park is operated by GLL under the ‘Better’ brand under a 10-year contract. The venue has seen a 14% growth in pre-paid members.