31.03.20
Sport England announces £195m in coronavirus support funding
Sport England has announced today (Mar 31) that it will be making up £195m of funding to support the sport and physical activity sector during this crisis.
It will consist of a £115m rollover of current funding into 2021/22 to guide established partners into the future and continue to facilitate the vital delivery of sport and physical activity in England and a £20m Community Emergency Fund, with local organisations given the opportunity to bid for between £300 and £10,000 in grants.
In addition to this, £55m will be earmarked for support during this period of restriction, to innovate around lockdowns with new ways of keeping people active, and continuing after restrictions are over to help organisations adjust to the new normal. For existing partners facing specific financial difficulty, £5m has been put aside for them to bid for.
Cashflow restraints within the sector has led to Sport England agreeing to consider requests to release six months of the coming year’s funding, meaning funding will be available sooner.
Chief Executive Tim Hollingsworth is hopeful for life after the crisis:
“We want the sector not just to come through this crisis but to be in a position to thrive again in the future and this package will ease the pressure on a huge number of the organisations who are central to that.”
Responding to today’s announcement, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson, Chair of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board, said:
“This funding will provide real help to grassroots and frontline organisations in these difficult times.
“Councils work closely with these organisations to improve the health and wellbeing of our residents through physical activity, and want to ensure that local communities have activities to come back to when this crisis is over.
“We remain concerned about the overall gap in support available for charities and trusts, who are unable to access loan support given the tight margins they typically operate in.
“We urge Sport England to work with the Government to also secure grant funding for these organisations, and to continue working with councils and industry to ensure that every organisation has the best chance of accessing support.”