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Lucky 13 sporting stars from North East Derbyshire share bursaries

22 April 2010

Brothers and sisters Gavin and Kimberley Bradshaw, who compete in Taekwondo, and George and Grace Marshall, who compete in Canoe Slalom, are among the athletes to each receive a bursary to help meet the costs of training and competition.

Also receiving a bursary is kickboxer Ross Chatterton, squash player Russell Clark, swimmer Gabrielle Hignett, cricketer Michael Mitchell and ice hockey player Lauren Scruby, together with waterpolo player Elliott Kelly, bowls competitor James Hardwick and Natalie Sharp and Emily Walter, who both compete in karate.

Each of the athletes are currently competing for England or Great Britain or have the potential to do so within 18 months.

North East Derbyshire District Council and Derbyshire County Council are among the financial supporters of the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund, together with all other local authorities in Derbyshire and a number of other organisations and businesses including the University of Derby.

Cllr Graham Baxter, leader of North East Derbyshire District Council, Cllr Barry Lewis from Derbyshire County Council and Ollie Shearer, Sports Development Coordinator at the University of Derby, congratulated the athletes during a photocall at Dronfield Sports Centre.

The athletes have also received free leisure passes for Dronfield Sports Centre, Eckington Swimming Pool and Sharley Park Leisure Centre to help them in their training as they bid to reach the top in their chosen sport.

More about each of the athletes is below.

Now in its third year, the Derbyshire Talented Athlete Fund has been set up thanks to contributions from a number of partners, including local authorities and businesses.

In addition to North East Derbyshire District Council and Derbyshire County Council, other contributors include Chesterfield Borough Council, High Peak Borough Council, South Derbyshire District Council, Derby City Council, Amber Valley Borough Council, Erewash Borough Council, Bolsover District Council and Derbyshire Dales District Council.

Rolls-Royce, the University of Derby, Derbyshire County Cricket Club, Lorson International, Derby College and the Electrical Contractors Association have also all shown their support financially for a third year.

The 13 athletes are:

Gavin Bradshaw (Taekwondo)

Gavin, (18), from Morton, represented England at the National Championships in Puerto Rico in July 2009. Last year he also competed at the British Black Belt Championships and English Championships. Now in the senior (over 18) divisions, he is aiming to qualify for the ITF World Championships in Korea in July.

Kimberley Bradshaw (Taekwondo)

20-year-old Kimberley, from Stonebroom, is aiming to qualify for her fifth world championships, the ITF World Championships in Korea, which takes place in July. She won gold at the British Black Belt Championships and bronze at the ITF British Open Championships last year, both in the senior adult sparring category.

Ross Chatterton (Kickboxing)

Ross, (16), from Killamarsh, has competed for Great Britain for the junior section and seniors. His achievements in the past year include becoming World Champion (13-15 years) and European and British champion (16-18 years), and gaining his second degree black belt.

Russell Clark (Squash)

14-year-old Russell, from Dronfield, is part of the England squad and has been selected for the England U15 team for the 2010 Junior Home International Championships in Edinburgh. He is currently the British U15 No.5, having left the U13 category as British No.1.

James Hardwick (Bowls)

Dronfield’s James Hardwick, (19), has played for the England U21 Squad for the past two years. He has been selected to compete at the Welsh International later this month.

Gabrielle Hignett (Swimming)

14-year-old Gabrielle’s achievements in 2009 included a silver medal in her age group at the National Open Water Championships and selection for the ASA English Talent ID Squad. She is currently part of the City of Sheffield Swim Squad and is due to compete at the National Championships at Ponds Forge in August.

Elliott Kelly (Waterpolo)

Elliott, (17), from Killamarsh, has competed for GB Youth and GB Juniors in the Men's National League 1st division, and for GB Juniors at the Bristol University Centenary Festival and the Four Nations tournament in Portugal where the team finished second. He played for GB U20s in a friendly tournament in Romania in February and is now preparing for two major tournaments in July - an international U20s competition in Hamburg and a senior international tournament in Bulgaria.

Grace Marshall (Canoe Slalom)

15-year-old Grace, from Dronfield Woodhouse, has competed for England at Junior level, representing her country in the Pan Celtic Cup Race in Scotland. She also took part in two international races in the Czech Republic, and this spring will take part in selection races for the GB junior team.

George Marshall (Canoe Slalom)

19-year-old George, from Dronfield Woodhouse, is a member of the England team and competed in the Pan Celtic Cup series of races. He also paddled in a world ranking race in Prague, finishing 21st.

Michael Mitchell (Cricket)

Michael, (15), has competed at county level for Derbyshire and was selected for the Emerging Players Programme for 2009-2010, a programme for the most talented players in the country. Michael, from Dronfield, has been invited to attend the Midlands Selection Programme for the 2010 season which will create pathways to play for England.

Lauren Scruby (Ice Hockey)

16-year-old Lauren, from Killamarsh, has competed for the England U16 Girls team and has been selected for the GB U18 Girls Squad. She has also represented Sheffield Scimitars Academy at U18 (mixed) level.

Natalie Sharp (Karate)

Wingerworth’s Natalie Sharp, (20), competed at the British Open last year where she was placed first in the traditional kata section. She is part of K.T.B.F Team GB and competed at the 2009 World Traditional Karate Association (WTKA) competition in Italy in November.

Emily Walter (Karate)

12-year-old Emily, from Wingerworth, competes in the junior section and is a British Champion. She represented the K.T.B.F Team GB at the WTKA World Championships in Italy in 2009.

Performers from all sports recognised by Sport England are eligible for bursaries, except those already receiving individual lottery awards or TASS funding.