The Welcome to Langholm Future Champions Awards for the year 2018 were launched in Langholm last Monday.
The fund was established in September 2016 to provide financial support to young athletes from Annandale and Eskdale with their ambitions of becoming the medal winners of the future.
The five year programme, running from 2017 to 2022, had funds of £50,000 and £11,750 of this was awarded to 26 young athletes aged 10 to 21 years old in 2017.
Joining trustees and officers from Dumfries and Galloway Council for the launch were Gold Award recipients in 2017: –
Ellis Dalgliesh, 18, Ecclefechan (Football) – current left back for the Scottish Under 19 Women’s Football Team and just returned from the UEFA Under 19s’ Women’s European Championships. Ellis left Celtic Football Club earlier this year to progress her career in English Football at Durham Women’s Football Club.
Kerstin Dodd, 16, Kirkpatrick Fleming (Shooting) – the current Scottish Junior Women’s Under 21 Champion and at the British Junior International in August won Gold. She is currently ranked No.1 in Scotland and No.2 in Great Britain at Women’s Under 21 Level.
Nicole Proudfoot, 14, Annan (Athletics) – represented Scotland at the Schools International Athletics Board Combined Event Finals in Dublin and is currently ranked No. 1 in Scotland and No.2 in the UK for the Under 15 Pentathlon.
Gordon Mutch, 15, Lockerbie (Motorsport) – won the British Junior X30 Karting Championships in 2016 and has progressed to the Junior Salon Car Championships. Gordon has had an excellent first year in Salon Car Racing with 7 pole positions, 3 wins, and 6 podium places.
The £50,000 funding over 5 years comes from Langholm based charities The David Stevenson Trust, The Bowman Little Trust, The Auchterlonie Future Champions Awards, The Arthur Bell of Langholm Trust, and The Stoneypath Trust. It is administered by the Council’s Active Schools and Community Sport in Annandale and Eskdale.
Former Olympic Pole Vaulter from the 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games and Trustee, David Stevenson from Langholm, said “It is very difficult to develop your sport to the highest level while undertaking academic studies or living in rural Scotland. This new programme will provide the most promising young athletes in Annandale and Eskdale with support that can enhance access to appropriate coaching, competition, equipment, and facilities.”
The programme has been developed to help fast-track young sporting talent, the potential medal winners of the future. The awards are a unique partnership that will work with schools and sports clubs and is designed for young athletes who are in education or the early stages of their career or employment. A minimum £10,000 is available to distribute each year with 20 individual awards being made, including awards of £1,000, £500 and £250.
Councillor Jeff Leaver, chair of the Children, Young People and Lifelong Learning [CYPLL] committee said: “The number of young people participating and achieving in sport is higher than at any time and we’re extremely grateful to these Langholm based charities that have made a significant commitment to support young people in Annandale and Eskdale. The growth in participation through schools and clubs, combined with enhanced levels of coaching and the raised profile of sport, have helped discover and nurture many young sports people that are now competing and performing at higher levels.”
Lead Officer for the Council’s Active Schools and Community Sport, Calum Graham, said “Much of our work now involves supporting these young people and we’re extremely grateful to be in a position to offer this support to talented young athletes, aged 10 to 21 years old, and give them every chance to realise their full potential.”
Anyone seeking information on the Welcome to Langholm Future Champions Awards should contact Calum Graham, Lead Officer for Active Schools and Community Sport, t: 01461 207 046 or e: [email protected]. or see www.dumgal.gov.uk/article/16253/Funding-for-young-athletes-in-Annandale-and-Eskdale
photo –
Back Row (Left to Right)
Ann Warwick, The Bowman Little Trust Fund
Neil Stevenson, The Stoneypath Trust
John Elliot, The Auchterlonie Future Champions Awards
David Stevenson, The David Stevenson Trust
John Scott, The Arthur Bell of Langholm Trust
Grant Adamson, The Arthur Bell of Langholm Trust
Front Row (Left to Right)
Calum Graham, Lead Officer, Active Schools and Community Sport
Gordon Mutch, 15, Lockerbie (Motorsport)
Nicole Proudfoot, 14, Annan (Athletics)
Kerstin Dodd, 16, Kirkpatrick Fleming (Shooting)
Ellis Dalgliesh, 18, Ecclefechan (Football)
