We will be publishing resources and key information on the dedicated Return to Play page
We recently launched our COVID-19 Club Recovery Fund aimed at supporting clubs to return to training. Since we have done this Sport England have launched their Return to Play: Small Grants Fund which not-for-profit organisations such as sports clubs can apply for. On that basis we are now asking clubs in England to apply to this fund rather than the GBWR one. Clubs in Wales and Scotland can still apply for the GBWR COVID-19 Club Recovery fund.
GBWR COVID-19 Club Recovery Fund (Wales & Scotland)
The GBWR COVID-19 Club Recovery Fund is a new initiative to support clubs which are returning to play but have incurred additional costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Clubs can apply for up to £300 funding to pay towards PPE and other costs related to the effects of COVID-19.
Clubs can claim a maximum of £100 to pay for PPE, including, gloves, masks, aprons, wipes and detergent. Clubs can then apply for extra funding, up to a maximum of £200, to put towards any additional costs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, such as:
- Court hire costs, where the club has been forced to change to a venue which is more expensive
- Additional chair transport costs
- Additional storage costs
- Additional player / volunteer transport costs
- Any additional equipment, such as exercise bands for Step 1 training
- Any additional staff training needs
Clubs can apply only once to the Recovery Fund, and the fund will be open whilst the COVID-19 restrictions are in place.
How to Apply
Clubs must have completed, and have been signed off, for the Return to Play (RTP) protocol before being eligible to apply for the Recovery Fund. To apply, please complete and submit the online application form.
Clubs will be notified within 2 weeks after submitting the application form if they are successful and the funds will be paid directly into the club’s bank account.
If you have any questions, please email Lauren Templeton at lauren.templeton@gbwr.org.uk.
Sport England Return to Play: Small Grants Fund (England)
The Return to Play: Small Grants Fund seeks to support projects addressing the challenges coronavirus (COVID-19) has posed to people taking part in sport and physical activity.
You can apply for grants of between £300 and £10,000, to help not-for-profit community organisations create coronavirus-secure settings for community sport and physical activity to resume this autumn.
The fund will have flexible priorities: these could include having to deliver sport and physical activity in smaller groups, having the correct sanitation and safety equipment, not having enough sports equipment to safely deliver activities and having the appropriate training for club volunteers to ensure you’re meeting the current guidelines. Funding could therefore be used for additional sports equipment, signage, sanitation, and training courses to help you deliver your activities safely.
Funding Priorities
Sport England will assess your project against the current guidance on safely returning to the activity you provide, and will be unable to make awards that go against that guidance – even if it was correct at the time the application was submitted. Priorities relevant to wheelchair rugby:
- All projects / club training session need to start with the next six weeks
- Clubs working with Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities, people on lower incomes, disabled people, people with long-term health conditions and people experiencing a greater burden of care because of coronavirus
- Clubs that don’t have a significant level of reserve funding available to utilise
Who Can Apply?
Your club can apply if you’re:
- a not-for-profit voluntary group or sports club
- a not-for-profit community club or organisation
- a registered charity
- a not-for-profit company
- a community interest company (CIC) or other social enterprise
- a leisure operator, operating a single site
What Can Be Funded?
- Volunteer training, e.g. health and safety requirements, risk assessments, etc.
- Additional coaching / facility hire costs as a direct result of having to deliver to smaller group sizes
- New ways of delivering activity for your existing participants / members, e.g. purchasing licenses to use online technology having had to change from delivery in a studio to now having to deliver online, where the classes already existed prior to coronavirus – the fund will not cover new activities that are being newly established for different audiences
- Signage / floor markings – maintaining social distance and avoiding congestion
- Pre-visit guidance / marketing / communications – promoting good hygiene
- Cleaning / hygiene – keeping facilities and equipment clean (PPE)
- Additional sports equipment / kit – minimising sharing
How to Apply
If you have not received a Sport England Small Grants award in the past, you will need to register your club, you can use the link below to register your organisation and start your application.
Completing Your Application
- About your project/club: Think about the people you’re working with, why they need your project/club/training sessions and the impact it’ll have on them
- Delivery: Tell us the resources you need to deliver the project/club/training sessions and how you’ll ensure it is a success
- Budget: A breakdown of what any potential funding will be spent on
If you need assistance completing your application, please contact your RDO.
