SPORTS clubs and individuals have until January 17 to apply for small grants from Oswestry’s Sports Council.
Anyone who lives or trains in Shropshire, within a 10 mile radius of Oswestry, is eligible to apply for the grants, which have recently been used to help Oswestry Fencing Club to buy new safety masks, contributed to a Slip Cradle for Oswestry Cricket Club, helped Oswestry Arrows Junior Basketball Club buy new team kit and Oswestry Rugby Club to buy junior post protectors for their growing Juniors section.
Recent grants have also helped several outstanding young individuals to pay for their equipment and training costs, such as Dan Bennet Jones who swims for Oswestry Otters and has reached national qualifying standard in several events; three members of North Shropshire Special Olympics (Briony Johnson, Gwilliam Jones and Darren Roberts) who have been selected to represent GB in the World Games in Athens but need to raise substantial competition fees, Kez Ogden who qualified for the English Schools in Combined Events and five individual events and is concentrating on heptathlon as she moves into the next age group, and Andrew Palmer who represented Wales in the European Mounted Games championships.
The Sports Council says it recognises the costs of competing at such high standard and invites clubs and individuals to apply for grants.
l The closing date for grant applications is Monday, January 17. Applicants will then be asked to meet the grants committee at 7.30pm on Thursday, February 3. Forms can be downloaded from www.oswestrygames.co.uk or by calling 01939 260308.