Team England's culture will be just as central to the success of Trinbago 2023 as sporting achievement, according to Commonwealth Youth Games Chef de Mission Francesca Carter-Kelly,.

Carter-Kelly was Deputy Chef de Mission for Sport and Athletes at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

She will now oversee a 58-strong English contingent in the Caribbean as they compete alongside more than 1,000 young competitors aged 14 to 18 from around the world.

And Team England's prodigious young pride will be in safe hands, with Carter-Kelly also set to serve as Chef de Mission for the Commonwealth Games in 2026.

"I think it is all about creating the right environment for the team to be able to thrive and achieve their personal best," she said.

"The 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games really gives them a taste of what it is like to be part of Team England, so it is more around the culture that we create for them to be able to step into that and really make the most of it.

"We want them to feel supported as part of Team England, we want them to have the right set-up from access to doctors to post-competition.

"But we just want them to feel safe more than anything so they can enjoy the environment that they are living in while they are over in Trinidad and Tobago."

Carter-Kelly has experience working at some of the most exciting sporting events in the world.

She was Chef de Mission for Team Great Britain at the Winter World University Games in Russia in 2019 and she also helped develop Team England’s preparation camp for the 2018 Commonwealth Games on Australia's Gold Coast.

And she believes a strong culture has been crucial to Team England's success for many years.

"Culture has always been critical to us as Team England and has always been central to what we do," she said.

"I think even more so when you are bringing together a range of different sports, with that comes different ages, personalities, cultures and communities.

"We talk a lot about our pride values, we have started to share some of those messages and invite the athletes and support staff to buy into that and be part of the wider team culture.

"We always talk about being part of the pride, so with that comes a certain level of expectation around conduct."

Several high-profile athletes started their journey competing for Team England at previous Commonwealth Youth Games before going on to achieve success at Senior Commonwealth Games, including Jessica Ennis-Hill and Dina Asher-Smith.

However, Carter-Kelly hopes every athlete who competes as part of Team England makes memories that will last a lifetime in Trinidad and Tobago, no matter what the future holds.

"So the Commonwealth Youth Games could be a stepping stone for athletes to go on and compete at a senior Commonwealth Games," she added.

"However, for many, it will be the pinnacle of their career, so yes I want them to perform well, but I also want to see them enjoy that experience.

"I want them to leave feeling like they are part of that team and like they have had a great time."