Team GB star visits local visually impaired shooting club after they win a sought after bursary prize

ISightCornwall club BUGS (Blind Using Guided Sights) Shooting Club has been crowned a winner of Aldi’s Sports Bursary Competition – an initiative launched to help rekindle the UK’s passion for playing sports.

Helen Glover visited BUGS in Cornwall on 30th October to meet the team and offer a ‘money can’t buy’ introduction and coaching session for the club as part of the Aldi Sports Bursary competition.

BUGS was one of ten winners chosen by Aldi and Team GB and ParalympicsGB earlier this month, following research from Team GB and ParalympicsGB sponsor Aldi which found that while almost a third (31%) of Brits are part of a local sports club, over a quarter (30%) feel there aren’t enough coaches or leaders to cope with the numbers wanting to join clubs, and 2 in 5 (41%) say more funding is desperately needed for their local group to operate successfully.

To combat this, Aldi launched its Sports Bursary with Team GB and ParalympicsGB, to provide much-needed coaching and funding to local teams, schools and clubs up and down the country. Ten winning sports groups were selected by Aldi, Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes to receive the unique Sports Bursary, with BUGS part of that list.

Sophie Butcher, iSightCornwall Club Coordinator of BUGS in Cornwall entered their team into the competition, winning a coaching and meet and greet session which was led by Helen, a cash prize of £1,500 to buy bespoke equipment and facilities, as well as Aldi vouchers to be used to purchase products and supplies including sports equipment from its Specialbuys range.

The Chief Executive of iSightCornwall (BUGS' parent organisation), Carole Theobald said: “BUGS is incredibly grateful to receive the Aldi Sports Bursary. This funding is vital for our club's growth, enabling us to purchase specialised equipment like sights, which will directly improve our members' scores and range time. Our members, who compete nationally and dream of blind shooting becoming a Paralympic sport, are thrilled not only for the equipment but also for the opportunity to meet and be inspired by a world-class athlete. A huge thank you to Aldi for their generous support!"

Helen Glover, 20-time gold medalist and two-time Olympic rowing champion said: “I am honoured to have been able to meet a team in my local area and be able to hear their stories and share my experience with them. I have seen first-hand how support from sponsors of Team GB and ParalympicsGB such as Aldi can provide the necessary funding to fulfil dreams and spark joy back into sporting communities. My local sports club was so important to me growing up; those who were part of it inspired my athletic career, and I am grateful to have been a part of this initiative to encourage that for future generations.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time with the club, and the members of BUGS were great and soaked up all the tips and tricks I gave them. I look forward to seeing the positive impact this much-deserved funding will have on the group.”