The Fund was founded by Jean Pickering and her children Kim and Shaun following the untimely death of husband and father Ron in 1991. Ron was a former Physical Education teacher and national athletics coach, training Lynn Davies to Tokyo Olympic gold in 1964.
Ron is best remembered as the voice of athletics on BBC commentaries and iconic programmes such as Superstars and We are the Champions. He was awarded the OBE by the Queen in 1986 for services to sport. Jean herself was an Olympic medallist from the 1952 Helsinki Olympics.
The Ron Pickering Memorial Fund made its first annual grant in 1991.
Following Jean’s death in 2013, the Trustees have continued her hard work to keep the Fund going to represent both of their contribution to the Sport. The RPMF has since its inception, granted several thousand small but individually significant awards and more substantial ‘scholarship’ grants totalling well over £2million.
Awards are made annually after an application process each autumn and are available to both able and disability athletes between the ages of 15 and 23, with grants to athletes over 23 being made in exceptional circumstances.
The grants are designed to help overcome potential barriers to success, but maybe as important, as a recognition of early effort, talent and accomplishment. The range in value can depend on the athletes age, ability and personal circumstances. Funding aims to positively impact the athlete’s ability to develop, help make the difficult transition from junior to senior level through support for items such as equipment, specialist coaching or travel, and most importantly, help build the athletes’ confidence and self-esteem through this recognition.
The success of the awards has been considerable with many of today’s senior British athletes being helped along the way by the RPMF. Typically, around 70% of current members of GB International Teams at European and World Junior and Senior teams and at Olympic Games have received a grant from RPMF at some point in their development.
We’re especially proud of our record of supporting future Olympians – most of the individual medallists at the 2024 Olympic Games and 2025 World Championships had at some stage been in receipt of funding from RPMF.
RPMF is a registered Charity 1005166
We’re especially proud of our record of supporting future Olympians - almost all of the the individual medallists at the 2024 Olympic Games and 2025 World Championships had at some stage been in receipt of funding from RPMF. We are also very proud of the junior athletes of which 75% of each GB Junior team the past 4 years has been supported by us.
Each grant is designed to make a difference, helping the recipients make the difficult transition from junior to senior level through support for equipment, specialist coaching or travel and importantly help build the athletes’ confidence and self esteem through recognition.
When selecting the recipients it was very important that the award makes a real difference to their development and focused on athletes from less financially strong environments or with a specific need to help them get to the next level. The funds will be used for athlete development and support costs with further support from the RPMF in the form of guidance, advice and mentoring on their individual journeys.
Ron Pickering Memorial Fund works in partnership with many different organisations to deliver our support to young athletes. By working with these organisations we are able to make the most impact we can!
When he died unexpectedly in 1991, his wife Jean, herself an Olympic medallist from the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, and children Kim and Shaun set up the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund to help young British athletes fulfil their potential.
Since then, supported by the Trustees and a network of volunteers, the fund has raised and awarded over £2.0 million in small but significant grants to several thousand talented young British athletes.
The majority of the British athletics Olympic teams in 2008, 2012 and 2016 had at some stage of their careers received support from the Fund, including all of the London 2012 and 2016 individual Olympic athletics medallists.
Each grant is designed to make a difference, helping the recipients make the difficult transition from junior to senior level through support for equipment, specialist coaching or travel and importantly help build the athletes’ confidence and self esteem through recognition.
Sadly, Jean passed away aged 83, on March 25, 2013 but the Fund continues her legacy by supporting the young athletes of the future.
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The RPMF Annual Grants are available to both able-bodied and disability British track and field athletes with talent and financial need, between the ages of 15 and 23. Grants to athletes over 23 may be made in exceptional circumstances. The Ron Pickering Memorial Fund exclusively supports young and deserving applicants in the sport of Athletics. We are sorry that we are unable to support requests from other sports but we focus on where we feel we can have the most impact given our history and knowledge.