South Derbyshire sporting talent benefits from Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund
Four promising sporting talents from South Derbyshire have received bursaries from the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund.
Cricketer Edward Ikin, swimmer Christopher Steeples, basketball player Nick Lewis and ski racer Sega Fairweather have each been selected to receive a £300 bursary from the Fund.
Among those contributing to the Fund is South Derbyshire District Council and Derbyshire County Council, as well as all other local authorities in Derbyshire.
Local businesses have also contributed, including Fairgrove Group and Derbyshire Building Society, as well as East Midlands Airport, the University of Derby, Rolls-Royce, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Lorson International, Derby College, Spirita, East Midlands Development Agency, the Electrical Contractors Association and Derbyshire County Cricket Club.
The four South Derbyshire athletes were each presented with a £300 cheque on Tuesday, April 15, at Rosliston Forestry Centre.
Presenting the cheques was South Derbyshire District Council Councillor John Grant, Vice-Chair of the Housing and Community Services Committee.
Cricketer Edward Ikin, (15) is part of the Derbyshire Cricket Board’s Main Acadamy, and is doing trials for the Midlands at Edgbaston Cricket Ground.
15-year-old swimmer Christopher Steeples, from Church Broughton, is part of the 2012 Training Squad of British Swimming. He competed at Midlands in November and won the junior 50m, 100m & 200m breaststroke competitions. Also in November he swam at Derbyshire County Sprints and won the open 50m and 100m breaststroke competitions and also won the open 100m freestyle competition.
Nick Lewis , (18), from Swadlincote currently plays basketball for Derby Trailblazers U18 and Mens team, and last year represented Wales U18 in the European Championships where they finished 2nd.
17-year-old Sega Fairweather, from Swadlincote, took Gold in the Super G event at the Eastern Alpine Championships in Sugarloaf earlier this year, and is currently ranked No.2 overall in Great Britain in Giant Slalom, 4th in Slalom and 3rd in Downhill.
In addition to South Derbyshire District Council and Derbyshire County Council, other contributers to the fund are North East Derbyshire District Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Derby City Council, High Peak Borough Council, Chesterfield Borough Council, Bolsover District Council, Erewash Borough Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council.
The four South Derbyshire athletes are among 60 sports performers from across the Derbyshire supported by the Fund, and are all competing for England or Great Britain or have the potential to do so within 18 months.
The bursaries can be used to help meet training costs such as travel, coaching fees and equipment, and has been made available thanks to contributions from a number of partners.
Performers from all sports recognised by Sport England are eligible for bursaries, except those already receiving individual lottery awards or TASS funding.