Believe Talent Fund

What's the Believe Talent Fund?

The Believe Talent Fund is for athletes living in Wigan borough who require financial assistance to participate in sport.

Grants of up to £500 are available for a 12 month period for athletes who reside in the Wigan Borough.

Funding can help with travel, accommodation, competition/training fees and equipment.

Application form for the Believe Talent Fund

Emergency applications

Emergency funding is also available, for grants up to £200, for genuine emergencies or time-critical requests.

If there is a genuine need then you are welcome to apply any time for emergency applications.

Please state on the form if you are submitting an emergency application.

Am I eligible?

The Fund is open to those athletes who are deemed by their sport's national governing body to be of national standard, or have the potential to reach national standard within a year of submitting an application.

To be eligible you must:

• Be aged between 11 and 24 (excluding early specialisation sports, and disabled athletes who can apply irrespective of age).
• Be an athlete within a sport recognised by Sport England. Here's a list of recognised sports.
• Reside in the Wigan borough* and require financial assistance to help you achieve your full potential.

How to apply

2019 mainstream application deadlines for the Believe Talent Fund are:

• 12^th April

• 16^th August

• 20^th December

Applications for the Believe Talent Fund must be made online.

Application form for the Believe Talent Fund

This form must be completed all at once.

Therefore please have in front of you before starting the form, the following information:

• Registered name and address of sports club with which you are affiliated
• Name, email address and telephone number of a committee member from this sports club
• Either:
  
  • A supporting statement from your National Governing Body confirming your rank or standing in your chosen sport. You will upload this as part of the application so please make sure it's available as a PDF file.
  • A website URL showing you have competed at national level in a competition or tournament in this sport. The website should belong to a recognised media outlet (such as the BBC or Power of 10) or National Governing Body
  • A letter signed by your coach or a representative of your affiliated sports club stating you are expected to be reaching national standard within a year of this application. You will upload this as part of the application so please make sure it's available as a PDF file.

Got a Word document that requires converting to PDF? Please follow this guide.

Any other questions about this application process? Please contact us.

What happens next

Following the application deadline we will do necessary checks and processing and inform you of our decision. This make take some time so please give us as much advance notice as you possibly can.

Need more information?

For more details or assistance completing the application form please contact Katie Eastwood, Inspiring healthy lifestyles' Wellbeing Officer:

• Email: katie.eastwood@ihlmail.org
  Call: 01942 488495

Please use these contact details for any questions you may have about the Believe Talent Fund. The application itself must be completed online using the form on this page.

* Applications may also be considered from athletes, that meet each of the above criteria, but that reside outside of the Wigan Borough where they are deemed to make an exceptional and direct contribution to grassroots sport within the Wigan borough. These athletes must train/be affiliated to a sports club within Wigan borough.