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North East gymnast given cash boost

A promising young gymnast has been handed a summer boost by receiving £750 from a leading housebuilder.

Katelyn Little, 14, is one of the first UK winners of Persimmon Homes’ Healthy Communities campaign.

The scheme will see Persimmon give away more than £600,000 to sporting causes across the UK over the next 10 months, with an overall top national prize of £200,000 in addition to numerous regional donations.

Katelyn train 4-5 days a week at the City of Newcastle Gymnastics Academy within the TeamGym. She has been selected to train in the British Gymnastics Northern Zonal squad working towards selection for European Championships in 2018.

Katelyn’s mother Joanne Little said: “Katelyn is chuffed to bits to receive this generous donation from Persimmon Homes.

“She is showing fantastic promise as a gymnast and is determined to represent Great Britain at a national level.

“It’s an expensive sport with travel, kit and training fees, so this money will be a big help.” A host of regional prizes of £750 are up for grabs each month for the rest of 2017, with amateur sports teams and individuals aged 21 years and under across the North East eligible to apply. The money is to be spent on sports kit, equipment, coaching or facilities.

A shortlist of 30 will then be created for a national final to be decided on a public vote, with the winning club or individual receiving £200,000 to create a long-lasting legacy and two runners-up receiving £50,000 each.

The new fund is in addition to the £720,000 the company already donates through its hugely successful Community Champions scheme each year.

Debbie Zaben, sales and marketing director for Persimmon Homes North East, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Katelyn through Healthy Communities. Hopefully the money will help her to reach her goals in the sport.

“This new programme is aimed at creating a lasting legacy for young people who love sport and the volunteers who help to deliver it.

“Everyone who enters, regardless of whether they win a monthly prize, will be considered as a national finalist.

“We are looking for sports teams and individuals who have amazing ideas on how to spend £200,000 to come forward.

“We will consider anything from new clubhouses, to training centres, facilities or gyms or it may be people want to spend the cash on the development of future Olympians.

“We’re very excited to see the projects that are put forward.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lee Southen .