Club in need of a boost? Apply to Sport England and Crowdfunder initiatives

Sport England has teamed up with Crowdfunder to match-fund crowdfunding projects run by sports clubs and community activity groups in England.

Sport England is distributing up to £10,000 per eligible Crowdfunder project in match-funding, alongside a programme of training and support to help community sports organisations to fundraise and reconnect with their communities.

Archery GB first promoted the Sport England and Crowdfunder initiative last year, and we are thrilled that clubs are benefiting. Take a look at how Crowdfunder helped Mayflower Archers in Essex.  The club raised £1,100 in February with the help of 23 supporters, and the funds will go towards upgrading their shooting line and adding a shelter at their range.

How does it work?

On Crowdfunder, people pledge money in return for a reward which can be a product, benefit or service. Should the project meet the criteria, they are then eligible for the additional funding to make positive change.

What are the funds?

Sport England and Crowdfunder have partnered to create two funds:

Active Together fund

Sport England encourages not-for-profit organisations who play an important role in keeping their community physically active to get involved. Sport England's Active Together initiative was designed to help with the immediate financial impact of coronavirus and longer-term, the ‘Return To Play'. £2.5 million is available to continue to support clubs and local organisations to set up and run their own crowdfunding campaign, with a potential financial pledge from Sport England to help towards crowdfunding targets.

To be eligible to apply, organisations must be:

• Local sports clubs.
• Charities, community, voluntary and social enterprise sector organisations that deliver sport and/or physical activity in their local community, including organisations that are not solely or primarily sports organisations.
• For the benefit of people residing in England.

Clubs that have experienced short-term financial difficulty, or that need to adapt how they operate due to the pandemic, can find out more about the eligibility criteria, start setting up a crowdfunding campaign and apply for match funding up to 50% of their crowdfunding target, up to a maximum of £10,000. Click here to start crowdfunding for your club!

Activate Your Space fund (for non-traditional sports clubs)

Welcoming and accessible spaces have a big impact on a person's experience - and the likelihood of them returning to it to stay active. Sport England is encouraging non-traditional organisations/facilities to activate a community space.

To be eligible to apply, organisations must be:

• Charities, community, voluntary and social enterprise sector not-for-profit organisations that deliver sport and/or physical activity in their community, including organisations that are not solely or primarily sports organisations.
• For the benefit of people residing in England.

Clubs can find out more about the fund and the criteria, set up a crowdfunding campaign and apply for match funding up to 50% of their crowdfunding target, up to a maximum of £10,000. Click here to start crowdfunding for your non-traditional sports club!

Sport England/Crowdfunder resources

1. Dedicated webinar events (repeated every month; the next one is 16 April) which welcomes people to crowdfunding with Sport England.
2. A bespoke online learning platform on how to crowdfund, and the Sport England support available.
3. An interactive video service on the Active Together page to help answer questions easily, and encourage more questions.
4. A 24/7 online Help Centre to help answer FAQs in addition to Sport England's support team who are on hand to help.
5. Expert coaches have written an easy-to-follow guide to help people succeed. There are also guides on planning, creating and running a crowdfunding project.