Derbyshire's emerging sport stars helped with launch of Talented Athlete Fund
Eighteen of Derbyshire’s emerging sports stars are to receive bursaries to help them further their sporting careers, thanks to the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund.
The Fund was officially launched on December 11 at Derbyshire County Cricket Club, where the names of the first 18 recipients, from eight sports, were announced.
This included sports performers from Chesterfield, Amber Valley, Derby, Derbyshire Dales, South Derbyshire, Erewash and North East Derbyshire, who are competing in athletics, cricket, golf, cycling, canoeing, squash, swimming and table tennis.
A further 60 athletes from other sports are to be announced in February 2008.
All the chosen athletes are competing for England or Great Britain or have the potential to do so within the next 18 months.
In this first year, recipients will each receive a bursary of £300 to be used to help meet costs associated with training and competition such as coaching fees, travel and equipment.
Among those to receive a bursary are 19-year-old triple jumper Claire O’Reilly, from Chaddesden, and 17-year-old cricketer Christelene Steinhobel, from Alfreton. They are pictured above with Derbyshire County Cricket Club first team players Wayne White and Ian Hunter, and Cllr Janet Goodison, vice-chair of Derbyshire Sport.
A full list of bursary recipients is below.
Performers from all sports recognised by Sport England are eligible for bursaries, except those already receiving individual lottery awards or TASS funding.
Athletes from within 26 priority sports must be nominated by their governing bodies of sport and this process is now well underway. Performers in non prioirty sports can apply directly to the fund before December 31, 2007. More details can be found here.
The official launch also recognised the contributions from the funding partners, with former Liverpool FC player Jan Molby presenting representatives from each of the funding agencies with a framed certificate.
Work to establish the Fund began a little under 12 months ago, with Keith Loring, head of sport and business consultancy Lorson International, and David Joy, Director of Derbyshire Sport, working with partners to bring the Fund to fruition.
All of the local authorities in the county have committed a total of £19,000 to the fund, and other contributers include Derbyshire County Cricket Club, the University of Derby, Derbyshire Building Society, Rolls-Royce, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lorson International, Derby College, Spirita, Fairgrove Homes, East Midlands Development Agency and the Electrical Contractors Association.
It is hoped to raise a total of £40,000 in the first year and work has begun to secure additional financial support from other public and private organisations.
The following local authorities have financially supported the Talented Athlete Fund: Derbyshire County Council, South Derbyshire District Council, North East Derbyshire District Council, Derby City Council, High Peak Borough Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Bolsover District Council, Erewash Borough Council, Chesterfield Borough Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council.
The first 18 emerging sports stars who are to receive bursaries from the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund are :
Ann Morris
Swimming
14-year-old swimmer Ann Morris, from Morley in Derbyshire, is a member of the Derventio gold medal-winning relay team from this year’s national championship. She is also an individual medallist.
Over the next 12 months she hopes to achieve a qualifying time for the European Juniors at the British Trials, as well as achieving regional and national success.
Ashley Davies
Squash
Chesterfield’s Ashley Davies, (12), is currently second in the national rankings, and is part of the Derbyshire U13 county team and East Midlands U13 regional team.
He is already entering U15 competitions, and aims to get into the U15 national squad and be selected for the U15 England team within the next 12 to 18 months. Next year he also hopes to win his first international tournament.
Ben Mourbey
Athletics - High Jump
18-year-old Ben Mourbey from Chesterfield is ranked number three in the UK and narrowly missed out on being included in the national squad for his event.
His second place finish at the English Schools’ Athletics Association (ESAA) was improvement on his fifth place in 2006, and he is thought to have the potential to break into an international team and attain world junior qualification for 2008.
Christopher Steeples
Swimming
15-year-old Christopher Steeples, from Derby, is a relative newcomer, having swum in his first national final and making the regional team.
He has been selected for the 2012 Training Squad of British Swimming, and over the next 12 months he aims to qualify for the British Championships, and for the National Championships in three events.
He would also like to achieve a 1.06 in 100m breaststroke in a 50m pool.
Christelene Steinhobel
Cricket
Christelene Steinhobel, (17), from Alfreton, has been part of Derbyshire Cricket Board’s Mini Academy for the past two years, and is one of only two girls in the programme.
Despite her age she has played a full part in the Derbyshire Womens Senior side, playing nine matches for Derbyshire this season and scoring a total of 131 runs with a highest score of 49.
She was also selected to play in the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) Junior Super 4s Competition, and scored 35 runs in two games. She also bowled and took three wickets for 21 runs off eight overs.
Claire O’Reilly
Athletics – Triple Jump
19-year-old triple jumper Claire O’Reilly, from Chaddesden, is currently fifth in the national rankings, and finished in first place in an English Schools' Athletic Association (ESAA) championship in Birmingham earlier this year.
Her personal best has improved from 11.76m to 12.25m in the past year and, having moved up to under-23 level, she now hopes to increase her personal best to over 13m and exceed the power of ten national target so that she can challenge for England/Great Britain selection and be selected for Worlds and Europeans.
Daniel Lowe
Table Tennis
Chesterfield’s Daniel Lowe, (14), is currently ranked No.4 in the ETTA national ranking list at Cadet level, and was the 2007 National Doubles Champion in the U14 age group.
He was also Derbyshire School Champion for 2007 in the U16 age group, and played for English Schools at International level. He is a member of the British Table Tennis Federation observation group London 2012.
Edward Ikin
Cricket
Edward Ikin has been part of Derbyshire Cricket Board’s Mini Academy for the past two years.
The 14-year-old has played in the County Age Group Squads since the age of nine and has played a year above his own age group for the past two seasons.
Next year he hopes to score a hundred for Derbyshire under-15s, and also hopes to make the U17s squad.
Fiona Donnelly
Swimming
Belper’s Fiona Donnelly, (13), is a multi gold medallist at national swimming championships in both individual and relay events.
She is also ranked No.1 in the world for her age, and is part of the London 2012 Targeted Squad. She hopes to qualify for the British Olympic trials in April and for a junior final at these championships.
Greg Hitchen
Canoe Slalom
22-year-old Greg Hitchen, from Matlock Canoe Club, has represented Great Britain at junior, U23 and senior level. He also represents the England canoe slalom team on a regular basis in the National Pan Celtic championship races.
Over the next 12 months he hopes to make the top three in the national rankings, and win a medal at the U2 European Championships.
Jake Harrison
Golf
Golfer Jake Harrison, (15), is the Derbyshire Union of Golf Clubs (DUGC) U16 junior captain. He was sixth in the English Golf Union (EGU) U14 Reid International Trophy last year, which gave him exemption to play in the EGU U16 McGregor Trophy in 2007, and he had a total of 160 in this international competition.
He is part of a regional squad of only six players who were selected this year for EGU coaching.
Josh Moody
Athletics – Middle Distance and Fell Running
Matlock’s Josh Moody, (16), made a huge breakthrough in winning the under-17 national championships at 1500m this year. He also performed well at the UK School Games (UKSG) in the 800m, and his key goals for the next 12 months including winning the county cross country, 800m and 1500m Track Championship titles.
He also hopes to achieve podium finishes at the National Indoor and Outdoor Championships and English schools cross country finals, as well as sitting his GCSEs in 2008.
Liam Pitchford
Table Tennis
14-year-old Liam Pitchford, from Chesterfield, is currently ranked No.2 in the English Table Tennis Association (ETTA) national ranking list at Cadet level (under 15), and was National Champion 2006/7 at U14 age group.
He was also winner of the 2006/7 Cadet Masters, and was a member of the national team for the 2006/7 European Youth Championships – an event which he hopes to win a medal in during the next 12 months. He is a member of the British Table Tennis Federation Talent ID Group for London 2012.
Lucy Davidson
Table Tennis
13-year-old Lucy Davidson, from Chesterfield, was ranked at No.2 nationally at U13 level for the 2006/7 season.
She is currently ranked No.8 at Cadet level, and was U13 Derbyshire School Champion 2007. This year she was also National U13 Schools champion, and a finalist at the U13 ETTA National Championships. She is a member of the British Table Tennis Federation observation group London 2012.
Nick Newbold
Golf
Like Jake (above), 14-year-old Nick Newbold, from Sandiacre, is also part of the regional squad selected for EGU coaching this year. During the past year he has competed on the national stage, finishing 27th in the Douglas Johns Trophy, and 18th in the EGU Reid Trophy.
At regional level he has been unbeaten in all U14 matches that Derbyshire have played against other Midlands counties.
Russell Clark
Squash
12-year-old Russell Clark, from Dronfield, is ranked eight nationally, and has represented both county and regional teams, with current honours including the Derbyshire U13 county team and the East Midlands U13 regional team.
He hopes to finish within the top 16 of the British Junior Open in January, and aims to improve his national ranking before leaving the age category in October.
Sean Cullen
Table Tennis
Sean Cullen is currently ranked No.3 in the national ranking list at Cadet level, and was 2007 National Double Champion in the U14 age group.
The 14-year-old, from Chesterfield, was also a member of the national team for the 2007 European Youth Championships, and was a finalist in the National U14 Championship 2007.
Tom Last
Cycling/MTB & Cyclo Cross
Tom Last, from Great Longstone near Bakewell, worked as a member of the British Cycling Talent Team program from 2003 to 2005. Since graduating the 18-year-old has achieved a great deal of success as a junior at National, European and World level, and is now establishing himself nationally in the U23 category in MTB and Cyclo Cross, being ranked No.4 in MTB.