Charity, Sport | Posted on August 20th, 2025 | return to news

Gifted young people in Dorset receive sporting chance of success

A Dorset Community Foundation fund supported by the Lord-Lieutenant of Dorset is helping 22 young sports stars to fulfil their potential.

A charitable fund that supports potential sports stars has so far this year helped 22 young people facing disadvantages in Dorset to fulfil their potential.

The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund for Young and Talented gives grants of up to £1,000 towards costs that might prevent youngsters from making the most of their natural ability — such as buying kit and clothing or helping to cover the cost of competition entry fees, coaching, travel and accommodation.

The fund is backed by Lord Lieutenant Michael Dooley and Wimborne engineering company Superior Seals.

Now in its ninth year, it has so far awarded almost £90,000.

Applicants must be aged 14 to 21, have a home address in Dorset and an exceptional sporting talent that has been recognised or acknowledged by the appropriate national governing body or equivalent. They must be also able to demonstrate that they are unable to achieve their ambitions without help due to financial or personal circumstance.

Among the 22 recipients this year is sailor Alex Jones, 16, from West Purbeck, who was awarded £1,315 to buy a new 7.5m sail for his Waszp dinghy. It allowed him to compete in the world championships in Weymouth, where he outshone the competition to win the gold medal.

“I wouldn’t have been able to compete without this grant, so it has helped me massively and made all the difference,” he said.

Meanwhile, rail skier Ella Hall, of Christchurch, has been awarded £520 to help her attend training camps abroad. The Brock College student said: “The grant is super helpful because it raises my ability to compete against all the Europeans, because obviously we have very limited facilities, and it puts me in a position where I can train as much as the Europeans can. We’re obviously not able to do that without this kind of help, because it’s a really expensive thing.”

Finally, Isabelle Fazakerley, a netball player from Blandford Forum, is using her £1,000 grant for kit, equipment and the cost of training with the prestigious Bath Athlete Development Centre, where she is a member of its Team Bath Under-15 squad, as well as playing for Bournemouth.

“The grant has already been a big help for her,” said her mum, Sarah. “We’ve bought new kit and trainers and it helped with train fares to London for a tournament. She travels a lot, and it really adds up. But we can see the improvement in her and since last year there has been a massive change. She wants to play for England one day and she puts a lot of additional work in.”

Chief executive of Dorset Community Foundation, Grant Robson, said: “Because of the fantastic support we get from Superior Seals and Michael, the fund has helped a succession of talented young people propel their careers forward. Being able to afford better coaching, up-to-date equipment and the chance to test themselves against the best opposition is hugely important.

“I also like the fact we are able to support the parents who make so many sacrifices, in both time and money, to give their children every chance of succeeding. We are really looking forward to seeing this next generation of sporting talent progress by helping them break through the financial barriers that are holding them back.”

Details of eligibility and how to apply can be found at dorsetcommunityfoundation.org funds/lord-lieutenants-fund-young-talented/.