TEN lucky local young athletes have been selected to receive financial aid from the Arthur Dagger Memorial Fund for 2011.

Sophie Thomas, Stephen Mitchell, Alex Fields, Angharad Flower, Lewis Nightingale, Jacob Fisher, Felix McGrath, Scott Bajere, Eleanor Wimshurst and Floren Scrafton have all been included on the list for a cash hand-out.

The ten were chosen from a long list of applicants after persuading the trustees that they deserved support from the fund.

"I am absolutely delighted," said 13-year-old Angharad Flower, of North Somerset Athletic Club. "This grant will really come in useful."

Likewise club-mate Sophie Thomas, aged 12, was thrilled to have been chosen. "Sophie was so pleased and it is a lovely reward for all the hard work she has put in over the past year," said mum Jo Thomas.

At the other end of the age spectrum, 22-year-old Bristol & West AC runner Steve Mitchell, who has taken a year off to concentrate on his athletics after graduating from University of Bristol, said the award was a massive bonus.

"I am immensely grateful for the money they have given me and it will help a lot, particularly with travelling to races," said Mitchell.

"I will be going all over the country for races, from Manchester to Bedford and Birmingham and this grant will definitely help with covering those costs."

The Arthur Dagger Memorial Fund (ADMF) was set up in memory of Arthur Dagger, who died in 2008. He was one of the longest standing members of Great Western Runners, a stalwart who had been on the club's committee for many years and who worked tirelessly for more than a quarter of a century on behalf of the running community in the Bristol area.

"The Fund's Mission is to support young people in Avon to develop their talents and improve their competitive running," said Mike Campbell, chairman of the trustees ADMF. The objectives are to build on young people's participation and enjoyment of running, to ensure young people receive the best teaching, coaching and resources possible and have the chance to progress if they show talent.

"We want to help young people to live healthy and active lives and to be the best they can be in their chosen event. We want to support young people whose financial disadvantages may restrict their potential to fulfil their talents.

"All the ten selected are talented young athletes. Many are already champions who aspire to bigger and greater things. My main message for this season is enjoy competing and look after your bodies.

What we've noticed over the two years we have been awarding grants are the numbers of injuries young athletes get so take care!"