Sport England TASS needs your vote in the National Lottery Awards

Sport England TASS is through to the final of this year’s National Lottery Awards and needs your vote to win.

To vote, call 0844 836 9693 or visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards.

The awards recognise the UK’s favourite Lottery-funded projects and celebrate the impact they have on people across the UK.

The Talented Athlete Scholarship Scheme, which is managed by the charity SportsAid, has kept thousands of young people in education and sport by helping them pursue both to the best of their ability. It has helped to produce almost 150 Olympic and Paralympic medallists - including diver Tom Daley - and is globally-recognised for its impact on British sport.

Other beneficiaries include former Olympic champions Rebecca Adlington (swimming) and Amy Williams (skeleton) as well as reigning Paralympic champions Natasha Baker (equestrian) and David Stone (cycling). Fifteen members of the England squad that won last year’s women’s Rugby World Cup are also products of the scheme.

Paralympic hopeful Eleni Papadopoulos is a 23-year-old disability swimmer in her fourth year on TASS. She was born with mild cerebral palsy causing her left-sided hemplegia. While training 36 hours a week Eleni is studying for her second degree, which is in law, at the University of Manchester.

In 2014 she had surgery after suffering from an impingement of her right shoulder. After not making the team for London 2012, going to the Rio 2016 Games is of utmost importance to her as she continues to strive to reach her dream of competing at the Paralympics.

She said, “Thanks to the healthcare provided by TASS I had the surgery within three days of being told that I needed it and as an athlete the sooner I had the procedure the sooner I could recover and start training again.”

The winning project in each category will receive national recognition on a star-studded BBC One TV show in early September and, in addition to the Lottery funding they have already received, will receive a £2,000 cash prize to spend on their project.

Guy Taylor, National Director of Sport England TASS said, “We're delighted to have reached the finals of The National Lottery Awards. National Lottery funding allows us to help young people make the most of their sporting and academic talents. We are proud to have changed so many lives for the better. It would be a fantastic reward for everyone involved in the project to be named the UK’s Best Sport Project so please vote for Sport England TASS.”

Voting for the finals starts at 9am on Wednesday, June 24 and ends at midnight on Wednesday, July 29. To register your vote for Sport England TASS call 0844 836 9693 or visit www.lotterygoodcauses.org.uk/awards