Sports & Recreation
Looking for funding for your sports club, charity or community group that provides opportunities for leisure and recreation? This list of funders might be able to help.
As with any charitable project, it’s worth considering the funders that will fund a wide variety of projects.
This page is updated annually. Spotted an error? Please let us know.
Living Sport
Living Sport is a local charity dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of the people of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough through participation in sport and physical activity. Its Small Community Grant scheme provides grants up to £200 for community sports clubs and organisations (but not schools). Living Sport can also advise and support clubs on a range of issues including funding, training and membership of national bodies.
Sport England
Sport England has four grant schemes:
- Small Grants offers £300 to £10,000 to help more people get active.
- Community Asset Fund offers £1,000 to £150,000 for capital projects such as sports facilities
- Strategic Facilities is primarily for local authorities to help them deliver their strategic vision for sports facilities
- Major Events Engagement Fund invests £2m in organisations that either engage less physically active individuals or develop their business to generate a better financial return
Football Foundation
Various schemes to promote football, including grants up to £10,000 to provide or refurbish facilities, up to £1,500 to set up a new team for women and girls or people with disabilities, and Respect packs to promote a positive training and match day environment.
The Swimathon Foundation
Grants from £500 to £2,500 for groups and individuals who provide and promote swimming in their local community. The yearly window for applications ends on 3 April 2019.
Hedley Foundation
Supports charities working with young people in various areas including recreation and sport, offering grants of up to £5,000.
Bruce Wake Charitable Trust
Grants for projects that encourage and assist the provision of leisure activities for wheelchair users.
Peter Harrison Foundation
The Foundation’s Opportunities Through Sport fund supports sporting activity or projects which provide opportunities for people who are disabled or otherwise disadvantaged to fulfil their potential and to develop other personal and life skills.
Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund
Grants of up to £10,000 to get more people, especially the young and disadvantaged, playing outdoor sport through more effective use of playing fields. The fund is expected to open soon.
Magic Little Grants
Organisations with an annual income under £250,000 can apply for grants of £500 to deliver engaging physical activities that encourage social cohesion and help vulnerable people to overcome barriers to participation. The application process is designed to take just 10 minutes.
Boost Charitable Trust
Offers grants up to £500 for projects that give opportunities to those who wish to fulfil their sporting ambitions at any level.
The Dickie Bird Foundation
Offers grants up to £500 to people under 16 years old so they can participate in sport irrespective of their social circumstances, culture or ethnicity. Grants are paid to individuals for essential sports equipment but not travel or coaching. The fund is not open to clubs or organisations.
Biffa Award: Recreation
Grants from £10,000 to £75,000 are available for capital projects such as playgrounds, skate parks and sports club facilities where it can be demonstrated that there is a range of uses from the wider community. Projects must be within five or ten miles of a Biffa facility (the rules are a little complex – check the website for more info).
Hilden Charitable Fund
The Summer Play Schemes 2019 fund offers up to £12,000 for summer projects for children aged 5-18 and lasting from two to six weeks.
Postcode Community Trust
Grants from £500 to £20,000 are available for projects that fall into one of three categories:
- Arts and physical recreation
- Improving community health and wellbeing
- Reducing isolation
The two-stage application process starts with a 500-word expression of interest.
Andy Fanshawe Memorial Trust
Awards grants that allow disadvantaged young people to take up opportunities to develop an exciting interest in the great outdoors, such as walking, climbing, cycling, kayaking, sailing, horse riding and residential courses at outdoor centres.
This page is updated annually. Spotted an error? Please let us know.