GRANTS Give Young Competitors A Sporting ChanceTWO Inverclyde teenagers who are excelling in sport are benefiting from funding awarded by Inverclyde Sports Personality Awards.
Seventeen-year-old Georgia Morrison and 18-year-old Rhys McCole received grants from a scheme which uses surpluses from the running of the popular annual sporting awards event.
From left, Hugh Scott from Inverclyde Council, one of the grant scheme organisers through its Active Schools team, David McCorkindale from Inverclyde Leisure, another of the organisers, Rhys McCole, Chris Jewell from New Horizons, another of the organisers, presenter Amber Livingstone, from Radio Clyde, and Georgia Morrison.
Georgia and Rhys were presented with their grant awards at this year’s awards event and have now made good use of the funds provided.
Georgia made her running breakthrough during the 2018 season. Her further development now requires a higher level of competition opportunity and she is performing throughout Scotland, attending competition and training camps in the UK and beyond. Georgia’s achievements so far include being the fastest local female over 60 metres, 200 metres, 300 metres, 400 metres and 800 metres.
She now holds the Inverclyde record for females over 300 metres. Georgia has also been victorious at 300 metres, 400 metres and 800 metres in the Scottish National leagues for both junior and senior female athletes. She has been a podium finisher at every national final she has competed in. Georgia represented Scotland at the Celtic International for under-18 athletes over 400 metres and 4 x 400 metres relay.
She is currently the fastest under-20 female athlete in Scotland for 400 metres. The grant she has received has gone towards the costs of training camps and equipment.
Rhys McCole is a boxer of some note and his grant has also gone towards training and equipment costs. Over the last 18 months, Rhys has been involved in lobbying and securing boxing provision for people with disabilities.
This is the first time that Boxing Scotland has provided these adaptations and also specific training. It also reaches out to boxing coaches who now have to have the proper certification and awareness. This was a joint effort with the Scottish Government, Boxing Scotland, sportscotland and Young Scot.
Rhys won a boxing silver medal at the Western District Championships last year.
He said: “I was delighted to hear about the Sports Personality awards grant scheme and even more to be awarded a grant. The grants themselves are extremely useful, particularly for access to training facilities, equipment and a whole host of positive sporting necessities. Grants can have a real positive impact for people and can greatly help the financial burden placed on some athletes and their families.”
Details of the grant scheme can be found on the Inverclyde Sports Personality Award website.
