The National Talent Camp was a unique four-day residential experience in December 2014, which brought together 350 of the most talented young athletes, coaches and officials from eight different sports across England.

The camp saw 17 coaches, 24 athletes, and 10 officials from cycling come together to participate in a unique multi-sport, multi-role, three-dimensional camp, to increase individual aspiration and ambition, and develop knowledge. Through the camp, young people were stretched and challenged to be ambitious and achieve their sporting best.

The four-day camp started with activities led by the team leaders and mentors to get the youngsters settled in and ready to get stuck into the meatier content. Over the four days, the groups took part in a number of sessions, including developing their sporting philosophy, honesty and ethics, observation, analysis and feedback and building their brand.

There were also keynote speakers, professional officials and coaches present to give expert guidance, as well as time spent consolidating and planning for use of this newly acquired knowledge with national governing bodies each evening.

Throughout the camp, young people were also actively encouraged to dream and be ambitious on where their talent can take them, develop a holistic view of their own performance and understand how they will deliver when they are back in the environment of their own sport.

National Talent Camp on Storify

The weekend closed with representatives of the Youth Sport Trust presenting a number of awards for the young coaches and officials, which emphasised and celebrated the efforts of those involved.

British Cycling was very proud to have Andrew Pink, from Charlotteville Rascals, awarded the Young Coach of the Year award, with Megan from Thanet Road Club gaining highly commended, and Katy from Hetton Hawks gaining highly commented in the Young Official of the Year section.

The whole weekend was a fantastic experience and one of the cycling young coaches, Molly Pattison, said: “It was brilliant and I recommend anyone to apply in the future!”

The Go-Ride team is working with the Youth Sport Trust to develop this opportunity and provide access to young volunteers on the volunteer pathway in cycling for 2015.