Cardiff hosts regional event for future sporting stars. 29 April 2010

As an Ambassador for Lloyds TSB, David Roberts met a group of talented young sports people at the Lloyds TSB Heroes Launch today at the Welsh Institute of Sport, Cardiff.

The event marked the third year of the Lloyds TSB Heroes programme, with the announcement of 16 talented athletes from Wales being supported, to kick start their sporting career.

In a bid to ensure more British talent reaches the top of their sport, Lloyds TSB in partnership with SportsAid, is easing the financial strain on parents by providing 276 of Britain’s most talented emerging athletes and their families with an award of £1,000 - approximately 20% of their average annual sporting expenditure in one go.

The announcement at The Welsh Institute of Sport was supported by two other previous recipients of SportsAid awards alongside David Roberts now 11 times Paralympic Champion; Olympic Silver medallist, Iwan Thomas and Ellie Simmonds, Britain’s youngest ever individual Olympic or Paralympic Gold Medallist.

The Institute was the venue for one of five inspirational Local Hero workshops created for the athletes and their parents to ensure they not only benefit from the financial support and recognition, but also from practical advice on how to prepare for life as an elite athlete. 

Sebastian Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) said: “Since 2008, Lloyds TSB Local Heroes has been a real success story of London 2012. To date there are 29 athletes currently competing in a GB vest at senior level that started out on the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme. These athletes are potential medal prospects for London 2012 and future Olympic and Paralympic Games and demonstrate that the support Lloyds TSB provides to emerging talent and their families can make a real difference to Britain’s medal hopes.”

Lloyds TSB works with SportsAid through the charity’s network of National Governing Bodies of sport to identify emerging talent across Britain and deliver the Lloyds TSB Local Heroes programme. Since it launched in 2008 the programme has supported 589 young British Olympic and Paralympic prospects.