Talent funding announced to help develop inclusive talent pathways

After Team GB departed Paris 2024 with 65 medals and ParalympicsGB all set to begin their Games next week, we’re investing £120 million into funding the next generation of Olympic and Paralympic talent.  

The funding will increase and enhance opportunities for talented young athletes in England to explore and develop their athletic potential – regardless of their background or financial circumstances. 

It’ll support athletes starting out in grassroots environments, as well as those already on talent pathways – formal high-performance sport programmes – and will be available for the 2025 to 2029 funding cycle.

The funding is being delivered by our existing partnerships with more than 70 sports organisations, which includes the turbo-charging of the Backing the Best programme, run by SportsAid, with a further £1.5m of National Lottery funding.

Paris 2024 medalists Alex Yee and Tom Daley are SportsAid alumni, while 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson and double 4x400m bronze medalist Amber Anning have benefitted directly from Backing the Best on their journey to Olympic success, and our chief executive Tim Hollingsworth is excited by what the future holds.

“Affluence and activity levels are often closely linked; the wealthier you are, the more likely you are to be active. This starts at a grassroots level and goes right up to high-performance sport,” he said.   

“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 as their impact lasts far beyond the few athletes that make it to the podium.  

“However, the reality is that the sheer cost of developing athletic potential is a major barrier for young talent.

“Keely, Alex, Amber and Tom show precisely why making inclusive talent pathways and removing financial barriers for athletes is so vital – and that’s what this funding is for.” 

Through creating more inclusive talent pathways, we want to increase participation in sport and boost diversity at a grassroots level in order to give more and better opportunities to all young people to explore and develop their potential, as access to opportunities is unequal and often dictated by wealth, postcode and education settings.
 

We also want to drive greater diversity within national teams, which in turn will demonstrate to the next generation of young people that they could have the same potential to reach the Games.  

Sports Minister Steph Peacock hopes the funding can create a more equal talent system.

"This £120 million from Sport England will extend the talent pathway supporting future Olympic and Paralympic success stories from the grassroots up,” she said.

"Dedicated funding means our Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes can better focus on their training and achieve the kinds of results we have seen in Paris. 

"Alongside Sport England, the Government is working to improve access to level the playing field so all of our emerging talent have the best chance of success wherever they are from." 

SportsAid research from 2022 showed it typically cost more than £6,600 a year for young athletes to develop their sporting potential.

These costs can include accessing facilities and coaches, equipment and the travel and accommodation required when training and competing at a national and international level.

So, just two years on, with this year’s Backing the Best cohort anticipating to each spend £9,700 a year, the impact of the cost-of-living crisis and inflation is stark.

And with more Backing the Best alumni, including Ellie Challis and Mark Swan, set to compete in the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games that start next week, it’s a point not lost on SportsAid chief executive Tim Lawler.

“An inclusive and accessible sporting pathway offering everyone the help they need to succeed is a shared vision across sport,” he said.

“The existing inequities across society as well as in sport are challenging us all to work more closely together to help each successive generation.

“The funding commitment announced from Sport England will directly enable that and SportsAid will continue to play its part to support young athletes and their families in those crucial formative years.”  

In addition to boosting the financial help available, we’re working with new partners that are embedded in their communities and providing accessible, inclusive pathways, like Badu Sports in East London.

Badu were awarded £485,000 to provide more and better opportunities for young people from all backgrounds to explore and develop their sporting potential.    

Nana Badu, the founder and CEO of Badu Sports, said: “At BADU we know that talent is everywhere but opportunity is not.

“This investment is significant in helping to create environments that focus on participation, improve diversity and turn potential into talent.  

“This partnership will allow for greater access to the potential we know exists in our community and enable the most underserved groups to thrive. 

“We are excited about what this means for our young people.”