Cash4Clubs 2024
Cash4Clubs is a small grants scheme set up in 2008 to support local sports clubs. Distributing around £5million so far, the programme has generated positive impacts for hundreds of thousands of people across the UK and Ireland.
Sported is delighted to team up with Cash4Clubs to deliver another round of funding in 2024. Grants of £2000 (€2000 in Ireland) are available this autumn for community organisations working with adults from under-represented communities, delivering sport or physical activity for social purpose.
The 2024 programme is exclusively focused on supporting adult clubs. We want to offer funding to groups that deliver activities to over 18s only, with an emphasis on 18–25 year olds. The funding will be unrestricted but with an outcome of increasing participation, meaning clubs are able to decide how best to use the grant to engage more adults from their local communities.
Who can apply?
Cash4Clubs is funded by Flutter UK & Ireland, part of Flutter Entertainment, the global sports betting, gaming and entertainment provider. For this reason, groups must solely be delivering activities to adults (18+) to be eligible for funding. We will prioritise applications focused on 18-25 year olds. You cannot apply if your organisation or club runs junior activities.
We welcome applications from not-for-profit organisations, including charities, community groups and traditional sports clubs. To be eligible for funding, applicants must be either registered charities or clubs with a structured governance and constitution.
Applicants must demonstrate that they are using sport for a wider social purpose with a goal to increase participation of adults from under-represented groups. We are particularly interested in submissions from groups working in areas of high deprivation.
To check you are eligible and make sure you have all the information you need to apply, please read the frequently asked questions below.
How much funding can our organisation apply for?
You can apply for £2,000 (€2000 in Ireland), to support your activities using sport for social purpose. You can only apply for one grant per club. We cannot give out awards to different teams within a club so please consider where the funds are most needed.
What is the deadline to apply?
The fund is currently open from Thursday 12 September until Thursday 12 December 2024.
What does our application need to include?
This Cash4Clubs programme supports community groups that deliver sport and physical activity to under-represented groups of adults, aiming to getting vital funds to those that need it most. We will prioritise applications that:
- Increase participation in sport and/or physicaly activitiy for one or more under-represented groups, including women over 18, people with disabilities, those from racially diverse communities, from the LGBTQ+ community, or from lower socio-economic groups.
- Encourage people who would not usually engage in sport to take part. e.g. providing activities that support physical and mental wellbeing or tackle issues such as loneliness.
- Address broader social issues for the local community, such as reducing crime and anti-social behaviour, homelessness, connecting communities.
- If the programme is over-subscribed, we will also consider where your project is based and prioritise groups based in areas of high deprivation (Indices of Multiple Deprviation 1-3).
What can the funding be used for?
The funding is unrestricted – we want you to tell us what you need it for!
It can be used for anything that will support your organisation to continue your activities and increase participation in your local community. Typical examples of costs might include a contribution towards:
- Venue hire
- Utilities such as heating or lighting
- Equipment
- Coaching costs
- Volunteer expenses
- Kit
- Marketing and communications
- Training and qualifications
- Insurances and affiliations
What won’t you fund?
We cannot fund clubs or organisations which work with young people aged under 18.
We cannot support projects which are aimed at, or support young people, aged under 18.
We are unable to fund trips abroad.
Any costs associated with elite sport or talent development.
We cannot fund individuals.
What else do we need to submit along with our application?
We ask for four supporting documents, so we can carry out necessary due diligence checks to ensure we are funding safe and trusted organisations.
These are as follows:
- A governing document, e.g. Constitution or Articles of Association. This is so we can ensure you are a charity or not-for-profit organisation benefiting the local community. Unfortunately, we are unable to fund Sole Traders or Companies limited by shares.
- A bank statement in the name of your organisation and dated within the last three months. The statement should clearly show the sort code and account number, so we can make payment if you are successful. We do not need to see any transactions or balance. We are unable to fund personal bank accounts, so the account name must match that name of the organisation applying.
- Your organisation’s most recent financial accounts or cash flow statement. Please ensure you send us 12 months of accounts or a profit and loss statement if you have been running less than 12 months.
- An up-to-date adult safeguarding policy (if you are working with vulnerable adults).
When does the funding need to be spent?
The funding should be spent within a six month period, to allow us to assess and report on the impact of the programme.
What reporting will we be required to complete?
As an explicit condition of funding, you will be required to complete a short feedback form to help us understand how Cash4Clubs has supported your organisation. You may also be selected for a grant audit so please keep copies of invoices paid and receipts for any items connected to the grant.
Our organisation has already received a grant from Cash4Clubs in the past, can we still apply?
Organisations who received a Cash4Clubs grant in 2023 are unfortunately not eligible to reapply. Organisations who received funding from a Cash4Clubs programme prior to 2023 can reapply.
We are based in Ireland, can we apply?
Yes! Sported are a UK charity but this grant programme is funded through Flutter UK & Ireland, so groups from Ireland are eligible to apply.
What support can you offer if I have additional needs, or I am facing barriers in applying?
We will accommodate different accessibility needs to give organisations the best chance of communicating their idea and plans with us.
This could be arranging a conversation with a member of our team to provide clarity on the questions or processes or providing information and the application form in accessible formats. We will consider any requests for accessibility that will reduce any barrier to applying.
Please get in touch at [email protected]
When will we hear if our application has been successful?
