With a grant fund of over £4m, grassroots sports clubs and organisations who have already benefited urge other clubs in need to apply for much deserved funding.
Made By Sport, a charity which champions the power of sport to tackle social issues, is distributing over £4 million of grants to support the important role that grassroots sports clubs and organisations play in communities.
Applications for the grants are still being accepted and being managed by Somerset Community Foundation locally through the Clubs in Crisis fund, supported by the Cash4Clubs scheme.
Sophie Mason, Made By Sport’s Chief Executive, has urged more clubs to apply.
She said: “We’re delighted to be able to provide over £4 million worth of grants through our Clubs in Crisis fund. With sport returning, now is the time to invest in grassroots sports and give our young people the best opportunity to thrive. Access to sport will provide them with more confidence, more resilience and better mental and physical health.”
“We believe funders and policy makers should consider sport in a different context and Made By Sport will continue to lead the way in redefining what community sport can do as part of the national rebuild. Now more than ever, sport has a big role in reinvigorating communities and supporting young people post-pandemic.”
One of the recipients is Nova Sports and Coaching, who work with young people with disabilities to improve their lives through sport, operating in the Bath and Frome areas.
The club have set up multiple community sports clubs, specifically for people with disabilities, including Bath Frame Running Club, Bath Romans Wheelchair Basketball Club, Bath Boccia League, and Frome Falcons Powerchair Football.
Alex Johnson, Director and Coach at Nova Sports, said: “The Clubs in Crisis Fund is the sole reason that young people with learning disabilities continue to receive specialist 1-to-1 support from their sports coaches. The project goes beyond helping them stay physically active but also teaches them essential life skills to set them beyond education and into their futures.”
Recent research indicates that 25% of community clubs may never reopen due to the devastating impact of Covid-19. In an attempt to prevent this becoming a reality, Made By Sport are offering unrestricted grants of £2021 to those groups who do so much in their communities to use sport as a vehicle for social good.
One of those threatened by closure was Downend Amateur Boxing Club, which aims to engage young people in a community sporting environment with a focus on inclusivity and building community. The club is for young people up to the age of 30 and currently has 69 members, eight of whom have trained to become peer coaches, supporting their fellow club members.
Craig Turner, Head Coach at Downend Amateur Boxing Club, said: “We are delighted and extremely grateful to the Clubs in Crisis Fund who have quite simply saved us from threatened closure.
“The club is much more than just boxing to our young people, many of whom are at risk from various issues including the negative street influences such as gang related criminality.
“The club is able to offer these young people a unique sense of belonging and opportunity to thrive that our sport offers like no other challenge in the arena. All of our young people are champions not only in competition but turning their lives around and gaining a positive future due to the structure and discipline that our club provides.”
In order to be eligible, clubs must provide clear evidence of how they use sport to help young people develop life skills, employment opportunities, reduce crime and anti-social behaviour or tackle mental health issues.
To apply for funding for your club, here.