Sportsmatch Injects Thousands Into Grass Roots Sport

On October 28, 2011

Sport England is again encouraging clubs across England to see how they can benefit from the Sportsmatch programme, which makes awards to not-for-profit organisations who have secured sponsorship to deliver new community projects to grow or sustain participation in sport. Awards of between £1,000 and £100,000 can be made to match funding from no more than five sponsors, with each contributing a minimum of £1,000.

Sportsmatch uses money from the government to encourage new sponsorship of grassroots community sport. Priority is given to applications seeking to match sponsorship from the commercial sector, but donations from private individuals or charitable trusts are also acceptable provided they meet Sport England’s sponsorship eligibility criteria.

However, it’s a competitive programme and, in the previous two years, the scheme has received requests for funds which exceed the available budget. Sportsmatch particularly wants to fund projects which engage groups that are currently underrepresented within sport.

Before making an application, Sport England recommends the completion of a pre-application checklist to help decide if an organisation or project is eligible for Sportsmatch. Essex County FA Football Development Manager, Brendan Walshe, has assisted with numerous successful projects locally and he’s invited people to come forward with their ideas on where to allocate project funding, which must be spent by 31st March 2012.

“We hear every day about how difficult it is to find financial resources for any kind of project in these difficult times, and in grassroots football we’re not immune from feeling the pinch,” explained Brendan, who is based at the County Office in Chelmsford. “That makes us even more appreciative of the support from organisations like Sport England, and the Essex County FA can offer advice and guidance with Sportsmatch applications.”

You can find pre-application forms here. If you would like to discuss any aspect of the Sportsmatch programme please call the Funding Helpline to speak to a member of the Sportsmatch team on (08458) 508508.