Conservative Council to Support County’s Future Sports Stars

Conservative controlled Staffordshire County Council has launched its new sports grant scheme and is encouraging young athletes to make an application.

The Staffordshire’s Talented Athlete Fund (STAF) has been set up to support some of the county’s most promising young sports people.  The scheme offers awards of up to £1000 to help young people meet the costs associated with training and competition.  Awards are made to young people in three categories, Gold, Silver and Bronze, in selected sports to reflect the broad range of talent in the County.

Cllr Gill Heath, Cabinet Support Member for the Environment and Rural Affairs with Staffordshire County Council said, “We have a wealth of young sporting talent here in Staffordshire and as a council we want to do what we can to nurture this talent.

“STAF is just one of the initiatives being delivered by the Council and ‘Sport-Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent’, to provide talented young people with opportunities to fulfil their sporting potential.  We have already had some applications come through but I would like to see even more people applying before the closing date on 2 March.”

The STAF awards are delivered in partnership with Sport Across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent.  The fund is looking for applications from athletes who are committed, driven and proud to represent Staffordshire.

Applicants must either live, or go to school in Staffordshire and have a date of birth that falls between 1 September 1993 and 31 August 2002.  Athletes with a disability may have a date of birth that falls between 1 September 1986 and 31 August 2002.

For full details on the fund or to download an application pack, please visit www.sportacrossstaffordshire.co.uk or www.youthbox.info/GetInvolved/Staffordshire-Talented-Athlete-Fund.aspx.  The closing date for applications is 2 March 2014.