Are you passionate about community sports? Do you believe that everyone, regardless of age, background, or ability, should have the opportunity to participate in physical activity? Then the Sport England Small Grants Programme is for you! This initiative aims to support local sports projects in England that promote inclusivity and encourage people to get involved in sports and physical activities. Let’s dive into the details and see how this program can benefit your community.
Towards an Active Nation: Sport England’s Strategy
Sport England’s ‘Towards an Active Nation’ strategy focuses on achieving three key aims:
- Getting inactive people to become more active.
- Developing lasting sporting habits.
- Developing more positive attitudes among young people.
The Small Grants Programme aligns with these objectives, making it an excellent opportunity for your community sports project. By receiving funding through this program, you can make a significant impact by bringing people together and providing sport and physical activities to those who are less physically active.
Supporting Inclusivity and Environmental Sustainability
In addition to promoting physical activity, the funders behind the Small Grants Programme are also looking to support activities that prioritize environmental sustainability. This means that your project could receive funding if it focuses on environmentally friendly approaches to sports and physical activities.
Types of costs that can be covered by the grants include:
- Coaching: Providing opportunities for those who are less likely to be active and offering activities that they would like to participate in.
- Volunteer training: Developing your organization’s volunteer base by offering training to both new and existing volunteers.
- Service alterations: Providing new ways of delivering existing activities to attract new participants, such as offering web-based classes or partnering with other providers in your area.
- Additional equipment: Enabling the expansion of activities or safer delivery of sports and physical activities. For example, funding could cover the purchase of a defibrillator and associated costs, including training for its use.
- Minor facility alterations: Adapting community spaces to make them accessible for individuals with mobility impairments, refurbishing spaces to offer sports and physical activities, or improving energy efficiency.
Recent Updates: Flooding Support and the King’s Coronation
Sport England has recently updated its Small Grants guidance to provide funding for organizations affected by recent flooding and to commemorate the King’s Coronation in 2023.
January 2023 Flooding Support
If your sports facilities have been damaged by flooding, the Small Grants Programme can help. Grants are available to cover emergency costs for restoring sports facilities, including minor works. Examples of eligible expenses include skip hire for removing sediment and rubbish, minor electrical works to restore power, decontamination works or clearing blocked drains, cleaning work to get showers and changing rooms operational again, and securing buildings.
King’s Coronation 2023
In honor of the King’s Coronation in 2023, two additional priorities have been added to the Small Grants Programme. These priorities reflect His Majesty the King’s personal passions:
- Sustainability and environmental impact reduction: Projects that focus on sustainability while reducing the impact on the environment. This could include purchasing locally made equipment to extend capacity in a club or using local community assets to minimize travel.
- Skill development in young people: Projects that focus on developing skills in young individuals. This could involve supporting them through coaching qualifications, sports administration courses, or introducing new sessions to attract new participants.
Who Can Apply?
The Sport England Small Grants Programme welcomes applications from a wide range of organizations, including:
- Community amateur sports clubs (registered with HMRC)
- Unregistered voluntary and community organizations with a not-for-profit constitution
- Registered charities
- Not-for-profit companies (limited by guarantee without share capital or charitable incorporated organizations)
- Community interest companies (CICs) or other social enterprises
- Community benefit societies
- Schools using their facilities for wider community benefit
- Local authority bodies (including town, parish, and community councils)
Don’t worry if you’re not a sports organization; Sport England is more interested in your knowledge of and track record in the community that will benefit from your project.
Grant Amount and Application Process
Grants of between £300 and £15,000 are available through the Small Grants Programme. The application process is straightforward and can be completed online. Guidance notes and the application form can be found on the Sport England website.
Deadline and Contact Information
The deadline for applications is 30th June 2023. For more information or if you have any questions, you can contact Sport England at Tel 03458 508508 or via email at funding@sportengland.org.
Ready to Make a Difference? Apply Today!
Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity to make a positive impact in your community through sport and physical activities. Apply for the Sport England Small Grants Programme now and create lasting change. For more details, visit Ratingperson, your trusted partner in community sports funding.