Chris Smith Memorial Fund awards first round of grants
Funding to benefit clubs, communities and individuals across the UK
The Trustees of the Chris Smith Memorial Fund have announced the winners of their first grants selected from the wide range of applications received since November 2021.
The Fund was set up last year to honour the memory of Chris Smith, a Team GB hill runner from Aberdeenshire, who died while running in the Perthshire hills in October 2020.
To date the Fund has raised nearly £25,000 from individual and club-based donations.
In line with the Fund’s intentions – to support promising young runners through outreach work and established athletics programmes as well as to honour Smith’s hill running legacy – the first grants will be awarded both to clubs and individuals.
In a statement the Trustees, including Smith’s widow Lindsay, said, “We are so happy that this money will go to help athletes and organisations, from individuals at elite level to getting kids out running in the community.”
One grant will be made to Smith’s former club, Aberdeen Amateur Athletic Club. The funds will be used to support its community ‘run, jump, throw’ sessions for children, held in areas of Aberdeen where such opportunities do not exist.
Another grant will be made to the Granite City’s Fit Like Joggers, who will use their funds to support their Couch to 5K programme.
FLJ’s David Scott said, “Well done to all the Trustees for such a great effort in making this happen. Everything you do is truly appreciated and Chris’ legacy will live on.”
Other Scotland-based recipients include sprinter Callum Ballantyne (Red Star AC / Cumbernauld AAC), triathlete Bruce Evans (Forres Harriers), track and cross country runner Ben MacMillan (Central AC) and coach Karen Wells (West Dunbartonshire AC), who will be setting up a Junior parkrun.
The CSMF’s next grant review meeting will be held in late January. All applications received from now until Friday, 21 January will be reviewed at that time.
Image: Chris Smith Memorial Fund (facebook)