Funding.

Sporting Agencies

Award for All

This is a multi good cause Lottery funded scheme. It awards small grants of between £500 and £ 5,000 & has funded a plethora of sports projects in the last three years. The aims of the Awards for All scheme are:

  • to extend access & participation,
  • to increase skill & creativity &
  • to improve the quality of life.

Telephone 0845 600 2040. The web site for Awards for All can be found on www.awardsforall.org.uk and information can also be found on this scheme on the Sport England website www.sportengland.org.

Barclaycard "Free Kits" Kit Scheme

Barclaycard launched this programme in November 2001 to underpin their FA Premier League sponsorship. Over the next 3 years, £4million will be invested in grass roots football in three different areas:

  • people in deprived areas
  • education
  • people with disabilities

There are two key parts to the programme; a kit scheme and donations to the FA Premier League clubs for their community work.

The kit scheme, in partnership with the Football Foundation, will provide 1,000 new sets of football kit and equipment to teams in deprived areas around the country during Barclaycard's sponsorship of the Premiership. Teams most in need in these areas who do not have access to kit are being identified through the Football Foundation's network of contacts are being invited to apply.

Contact: Lesley Burns, Barclaycard Project Manager, Barclaycard "Free Kicks", C/O The Football Foundation Trading Ltd, 25 Soho square, London. W1D 4FF.

Football Foundation website

Community Amateur Sports Club – Tax Relief

With the granting of the Royal Assent to the 2002 Finance Bill on 24th July 2002, Community Amateur Sports Clubs (CASC's) may now register with the Inland Revenue to claim tax reliefs.

This measure helps those clubs which do not wish to obtain full charitable status, and it gives them many of the benefits enjoyed by charities:

  • fundraising income up to £15,000 exempt from tax
  • income from interest exempt from tax
  • rental income up to £10,000 exempt from tax
  • disposals assets exempt from capital gains tax
  • gift aid on individual donations
  • inheritance tax relief on gifts
  • gifts of assets on no-gain, no-loss basis for capital gains
  • business relief on gifts of trading stock

The tax relief package will be available to CASCs that:

  • are open to the whole community
  • are organised on an amateur basis
  • have their main purpose providing facilities for, and promoting participation in one or more eligible sports

Full guidance for CASCs on how to register to take advantage of the new Government tax package for local sports clubs is available on the Inland Revenue website

Sports clubs are now free to choose to apply either to the Charity Commission for charitable status, and the tax treatment that accrues to it, or directly to the Inland Revenue for the tax reliefs specifically for CASC's. For information on both options and related issues, see the Sport England Information Sheet

Further information on tax relief:
Inland Revenue
Sports Clubs Unit
Meldrum House
15 Drumsheugh Gardens
Edinburgh EH3 7UL
Telephone: 0131 777 4147
Fax: 0131 777 4045
Email: Sportsunit@gtnet.gov.uk

Football Foundation

The Foundation is funded via a proportion of the monies accruing from the contacts secured with television companies to screen Premiership & Football League matches. The three funding partners of the Football Foundation are The Football Association, The FA Premier League and The Government (through Sport England and the National Lottery). The Foundation, which is the UK's largest sports charity with £53 million annual funding, has four strands of funding, as follows:

  • National League Grounds Improvement Scheme - which offer a range of capital grants for improving the safety of grounds.
  • Youth Team Kit scheme - £300 per club per every 3 years for junior clubs & schools who run teams for under 16's and below.

However, it's two main charitable funding streams are:

Grassroots Funding - The aim of this funding is to provide opportunities for anyone of any age, background or ability to participate. Initially 75% of scheme monies will be allocated to this aspect. Grass Roots Funding primarily supports organisations who wish to build, develop or refurbish facilities in order to sustain or increase participation. Grass Roots applications may also include an element of revenue funding which enables the sustainability or increase in participation through a development plan.

Examples of Grass Roots Funding include:

  • changing room improvements
  • pitch drainage
  • artificial pitch installation
  • floodlighting
  • club house development and refurbishment

An organisation can apply for funding up to £1million. The percentage level of support is variable but will not exceed 90%. Ceiling grants will only be awarded in exceptional circumstance. The average grant awarded is 65% and applicants must be able to demonstrate that all other sources of funding have been exhausted. Revenue funding must not exceed 20% of the total Grass Roots grant.

Community & Education - The aims of this funding are to:

  • increase participation and volunteering in sport by people with disabilities, black and ethnic communities, people on low incomes and women and girls
  • create more inclusive communities who play sport together and encourage and support local teams at grass roots
  • encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles and to contribute to improving the well being and quality of life of people of all ages and abilities
  • assist young people, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to increase their educational attainments and raise personal aspirations
  • ensure that young people participating in sport do so in a safe and secure environment
  • share ideas, research and identify best practice from schemes to enable more people to participate in sport in the community.

Examples of Community and Education Funding include:

  • community coaching schemes
  • volunteer training programmes
  • employment of a development officer
  • study support centres
  • social inclusion projects

Community and Education grants are available from £500 to £250,000, over a maximum of five years. The percentage level of support to a project is flexible but will not exceed 90%. Ceiling grants will only be awarded in exceptional circumstance. The average grant awarded is 65% and applicants must be able to demonstrate that all other sources of funding have been exhausted.

Local Authorities, all educational establishments, football clubs, multi-sport clubs, registered charitable organisations, companies limited by guarantee, industrial and provident societies, and unincorporated not for profit organisations can all apply for grants under both these funding streams.

Telephone 020 7534 4210 Further information can be found on the Sport England website or visit the Football Foundation website

Foundation for Sport and The Arts (FSA)

The Foundation for Sports and the Arts is funded through income generated by the Football Pools Companies. The foundation will support both revenue & capital projects including assistance for individual performers.

The FSA will grant awards to minority sports such as Golf, angling for the disabled and in certain cases make awards for playground equipment & the maintenance of footpaths. Priority is given to Youth groups and girls/women's groups.

Telephone: 0151 259 5505

National Playing Fields Association

Grants may be available to support development & facility improvements on playing fields.

Telephone 020 78335360 or you can visit the website

Sponsorship and Trusts

There are a number of key commercial sponsorship guides that assist people in obtaining sponsorship. Some of these are available in local libraries. The following publications will assist in the identification of the appropriate companies to approach.

  • Major Companies Guide - covering the UK's top 400 corporate donors.
  • A guide to Company Giving - covering1400 companies within the UK.
  • Hollis Sponsorship and Donations Yearbook - profiling 900 of the UK's top spending sponsoring companies
  • Sporting GB UK's Guide to Trade - contains details of manufacturers who may assist with clothing or equipment or other 'in kind' help rather than money.
  • The Directory of social Change publish a number of guides related to fundraising and sponsorship. This includes both educational and individual guides, details on trusts and major companies.

Sport England

Information on fundraising can also be obtained from Sport England and the following guides can be obtained from Sport England Publications:

  • "Financing Projects"
  • "Finding the Funds"
  • "Raising Money"

Contact Telephone 0870 521 0255 or Sport England website

Sports Aid

This scheme gives financial support to young sports people who have already shown promise to help them train, compete & reach their full potential.

Telephone: 020 7387 9380 or 0113 242 7627 or visit the website

Sports Governing Body Funds

Each sport has its own scheme, which often include various trusts - e.g. Athletics- Ron Pickering Memorial Trust. Contact the relevant sports governing body or the British Sports Trust for Community Sports Leaders Award & other leadership schemes.

Sportsmatch

This is a government scheme, which gives pound for pound matching of commercial sponsorship acquired, from a minimum of £500 to a maximum of £50,000, for grass-roots sport. Projects should look towards Increasing participation & improving existing provision. Items such as coaching fees, facility hire, competition costs and publicity are all fundable.

A new Sportsmatch Award is being created to encourage participation by ethnic minority groups in 2002. Sportsmatch is also planning to double awards for disability sport in 2002.

Telephone Nicola Ratcliffe on 020 7233 7747 or Martin Cannon on 01753 884860 or visit the website

Women's Sports Foundation

This is a registered charity committed to promoting & improving sporting opportunities for women & girls. The Women's Sports Foundation provides an advisory service & can supply resources.

Telephone: 020 8697 5370 or visit the website