Dronfield squash player receives Talent Fund bursary
Dronfield squash player Russell Clark has been presented with a £300 bursary from the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund.
The Fund has been set up thanks to contributions from a number of partners, including local authorities and businesses, and in its first year will support around 75 performers from across the county who are competing for England or Great Britain or have the potential to do so within 18 months.
12-year-old Russell, a pupil at Dronfield Henry Fanshawe School, is among the first 18 athletes chosen to receive a bursary from the Fund.
He was presented with a £300 cheque by Cllr Graham Baxter, Leader of North East Derbyshire District Council; Clive Moesby, chair of Derbyshire Sport; and Cllr Geoff Carlile, Derbyshire County Council Cabinet Member for Regeneration.
North East Derbyshire District Council and Derbyshire County Council are two of the local authorities to have contributed to the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund, which is managed by Derbyshire Sport.
Other contributors include South 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.
In addition, Derbyshire County Cricket Club, the University of Derby, Rolls-Royce, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lorson International, Derby College, Spirita, Fairgrove Group, East Midlands Development Agency, the Electrical Contractors Association and Derbyshire Building Society have all shown their support financially.
Earlier this month Russell competed in the Newport Open, in Wales, winning the boys under 13 event without dropping a game and beating the Welsh No2 3-0 in the final.
He also won the BU13 Redwood lodge Silver event in Bristol and the BU13 Sheffield Open at his home club Abbeydale in November 2007, and became BU13 English Open Champion in December 2007.
At the British Open Championships in early January, which saw more than 400 competitors take part from all over the world, he finished eighth in his age group.
He began playing squash aged nine, and reached the top three in England at U11 level. He is currently ranked sixth in England at U13, will be No4 in next month’s rankings, and aims to reach No1 before he moves out of the U13 category in October.
Performers from all sports recognised by Sport England are eligible for bursaries, except those already receiving individual lottery awards or TASS funding.
A further 60 athletes who will benefit from the Fund will be announced in February 2008.
Bursaries will be used to help athletes further their sporting careers, contributing towards meeting training costs such as coaching fees, travel and equipment.