Sport England Reveals Community Funding Plans

After revealing the governing body allocations for its £480m budget late last year, the grass-roots funding organisation Sport England has now published further details of its new funding strategy regarding programmes available to community sports groups.

Beginning in April, applications from grass-roots sports programmes will be accepted for funding from these four streams:

– Up to £30m will be invested via regular themed funding rounds that meet specific needs of community sport

– £7m will be available in small grants of between £300 and £10,000 to support sporting projects across England

– £3m will be distributed through Sportsmatch, enabling community clubs to make the most of the funding they receive from the private sector by matching that investment

– £5m will be invested, through a new Innovation Fund, in projects that identify and pilot new ways of promoting and supporting grassroots sport.

Along with facility funding that is already allocated to national governing bodies of sport, £10m per year will be invested in programmes that aim to improve or sustain community sport facilities.

In addition to the applications starting to be accepted in April, the Awards for All England, a joint programme supported by the Big Lottery Fund, Sport England, Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund, are still receiving applications in their existing format until 31st March.

The financial details for community sports groups is in addition to the funding that was allotted to 46 national governing bodies of sport by Sport England, which saw large financial chunks given to athletics and cycling.