Leading dairy company Dale Farm have launched the Dale Farm FutureStar Award. The award will recognise one Northern Ireland athlete with a £5,000 bursary to accelerate their career. Delivered in partnership with the Mary Peters Trust, the Dale Farm FutureStar Award is calling for applications from athletes aged 16 years and over who have demonstrated the excellence and potential to participate at an international level.

As well as much-needed financial support, the recipient will receive new kit and a steady supply of dairy products including Dale Farm Protein Milk, aimed at increasing protein intake pre-and post-training. The winner will also be given the opportunity to enhance the skills required by a professional athlete, including an interview training session with a leading sports journalist. Building on the company’s long-standing heritage of supporting local sports, from grassroots to elite levels, the Dale Farm FutureStar Award is one of the most significant, private-sector funded, individual athlete awards in Northern Ireland. 

“We are proud to once again partner with Mary Peters Trust to launch the Dale Farm FutureStar Award, which will recognise the cream of the crop of local athletes – and provide a springboard to help them reach their full potential,” said Caroline Martin, Head of Marketing, Dale Farm.

"We understand the hard work and determination that athletes, their coaches and indeed their families, put into developing their career and the associated time and financial commitment that goes along with that,” Caroline said. Fencing star, Lisburn’s Charlotte Slater (16 years old), recently took first place at the British Youth Championships (Under 16) for the third time, and helped launch the award alongside Dale Farm and Dame Mary Peters DBE this week.

“World-class sporting talent is undoubtedly one of Northern Ireland’s proudest assets,” Caroline Martin continued.

“Our sporting heroes, like Rory McIlroy and Carl Frampton, combined with upcoming stars like Charlotte Slater, are a true inspiration,” Caroline said. Dame Mary Peters DBE, President of the Mary Peters Trust, added: “I fully appreciate how challenging the life of an athlete can be. The sheer love of sport is what keeps an athlete striving for their next goal, but practically there is a huge amount of investment needed to compete at an international level. We are delighted to open the Dale Farm FutureStar Award for 2017 – and would encourage local athletes to apply and reach for the stars.”

Applicants to the Dale Farm FutureStar Award must be 16 years of age as of 26^th May 2017. A judging panel, consisting of representatives from Mary Peters Trust and Dale Farm, will assess all applications, with the winner being announced in June.

2017 Dale Farm FutureStar application forms are available from www.marypeterstrust.org or by contacting the Mary Peters Trust - tel: 028 9068 6730 or email info@marypeterstrust.org