Professional athletes struggling for sponsorships after Jersey Sports Foundation folds

ITV Channel's Otis Holmes reports...

Elite athletes in Jersey are no longer receiving vital funding after Jersey sport foundation dissolved in August.

The charity, which funded athlete's training, strength and conditioning and psychological elements disappeared over the summer meaning athletes now have to fund themselves.

For many elite sportspeople in Jersey, this means paying for gym membership costs, coaching, nutrition and psychological support.

Without the monetary help, many elite athletes will struggle to access the training and coaching to help them reach their full potential.

Aaron Rowe, a stand-up paddleboarder, is one of Jersey's athletes who benefitted from Jersey Sports Foundation's funding. He says the future for Jersey's athletes is now going to be expensive.

He says: "I feel like it might become very elitist where if you can't afford it, it's not going to happen.

"Jersey sport foundation gave that gateway by giving that training and all of that advice it kind of took the edge off the cost of travelling because it was offset."

Catorina McAllister from Jersey Sport says they currently do not have any direct money but if they did, it would go straight to Jersey's elite athletes.

She says: "the board of Jersey sport and myself are absolutely steadfast at getting to the point where Jersey has the sports programme it deserves."