Condor launches travel fund to help young athletes

Condor Ferries said it was "delighted" to be involved in the partnership

Condor has launched a travel fund to help athletes in the Channel Islands attend events and competitions overseas.

Jersey Sport and Guernsey Sports Commission will oversee the selection of aspiring local athletes as part of the imitative.

The successful applicants will benefit from UK and overseas travel worth £5,000 a year via Condor Ferries.

The company said it was "delighted" to be involved in the partnership.

Applicants aged 13 to 23 from any sport will be eligible to benefit from the fund, although it is being targeted towards those who usually travel with sports equipment or vehicles.

'Travel opportunities'

Graham Chester, operations director for the Sports Commission, said competing and training off-island was "essential" for young sports people.

"We know that the cost of travel can sometimes be a barrier, particularly when they need to travel with a parent or coach or take bulky sports equipment with them," he said.

"This support from Condor will certainly provide an additional boost by increasing travel opportunities to the UK, Jersey or France for those young people who regularly compete or train off-island and will work alongside our established Sport Development Fund."

The travel fund will grant five individual bursaries of £1,000 to athletes across five different sports on each island.

Justin Amey, Condor Ferries' head of sales and marketing, said: "This is the first time we have developed a fund that helps Islanders achieve their individual and shared sporting ambitions off-island.

"Our goal is to assist a few sporting protégés in realising their dreams and potentially fly the Guernsey flag on the bigger stage."

The travel fund, which is separate from Condor's community fund, will be available from April 2024.