BUDDING athletes across Worcestershire have the opportunity to give their career a boost by bidding for a £1,000 grant.

County youngsters can apply for the funding from the Joanna Brown Trust Talented Athlete Support Grant, which is now entering its third year.

The trust, in partnership with the Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire, will provide talented athletes under 18 with funding to pay for training, travel, equipment or competition costs.

Athletes can apply for up to £1,000 and the successful applicants will be announced in November.

The grant scheme is being funded by The Joanna Brown Trust, a sports charity set up in memory of a local woman.

Joanna, who was from Malvern, fell to her death, aged 30, while on a walking holiday around Lake Baikal in Siberia after visiting the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

A similar grant scheme was successfully run last year and now The Joanna Brown Trust is looking to support more talented young athletes in Worcestershire.

Richard Brown, founder of The Joanna Brown Trust, said: “Following the great success of last year’s grant scheme, we have decided to do it again.”

The charity has raised over £110,000 since it began and has already funded other local successful sporting projects, including a cricket nets training facility at Barnards Green Cricket Club.

Brown added: “Jo was all about striving to be the best she could and, with the help of the Sports Partnership Herefordshire and Worcestershire we are able to help young athletes in the area be the best they can.”

The scheme is now open and application forms are available from TheJoanna BrownTrust.org. The deadline is Friday, October 18.