Young and Talented Cornwall grants £24,000 to Cornwall’s emerging talents

A 13-year-old street dancer and a 15-year-old archer are among Cornwall’s latest young talents to benefit from a £24,000 grant fund from Young and Talented Cornwall – putting them one step closer to achieving their dreams.

Designed to support emerging talents, the fund helps the next generation of superstars who otherwise lack the means to achieve their potential across a wide range of skill areas, from sports and performing arts to music and science. Since 2005 Young & Talented Cornwall, The Lord Lieutenant’s Fund, has provided grants worth more than £350,000.

Chloe Scott, ranked 23^rd in the UK in Archery, and Aneta Copec who is making her mark in British Street Dance, will both be putting their funding towards travel to coaching and competitions, as well as equipment needed. Bailey Tomkinson, an emerging singer-songwriter who is putting St Ives on the map for country music, is also a recipient of Young and Talented funding as she begins recording an EP.

The grant scheme is headed up by Lord Lieutenant Colonel Edward Bolitho OBE who said: “It’s such a pleasure to be able to support these talented young Cornish people who have demonstrated exceptional talent in such a wide variety of fields. The wealth of talent we have in Cornwall never faiIs to impress me and investing in this next generation of artists, athletes, and creative talent is vital for the cultural and economic growth of our community.”

Recipients celebrated receiving their awards at a recent St Austell Brewery event. Completing the full list of Young & Talented Cornwall recipients are: rower Eleanor Dash (22), acrobatic gymnast Ella-Grace Atkinson-Townsend (14), Irish dancer Ellie Prason (14), ballet dancer Gracie Giles (13), endurance athlete Imogen Wood (22), footballer Joby Breslaw (14), musician Maximillian Morrison (17), sculptor Nikita Midgley (18), musician Oren Hirtenstein (22), athlete Poppy Northcott (16), ocean surfski and specski racer Rosemary Edwards (18), hockey player Saffron Cripps (17), flautist and soprano Samantha Rowe (22), dancer and musical theatre performer Shannon Tree (20), BMX racer Sienna Harvey (16) and surf life saving, ski paddler, ocean ski paddler Terry Michael (17).

Applications for the next round of grants are now open and thanks to The Lions Club of St Austell, budding superstars in the wider St Austell area can now benefit from a specific Young & Talented award. The award is in memory of Michael Collins; a founder member of the Lions Club in St Austell who sadly passed away in December last year. Apply now.