Sport England Inspired Facilities Funding-round two opens 

Are your facilities in need of refurbishment?

Sport England have opened the second round of applications for their Inspired Facilities Funding which will be allocated to improve up to 1000 community sports clubs.

The £50million fund is part of the Places People Play legacy programme that brings the magic of a home Olympic and Paralympic Games into the communities across the country.  

Graham Manchester, Strategic Lead on Adult Participation explains: “We are urging clubs and centres to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity and to apply for funding which can be used to breathe new life into tired facilities and to make them more attractive to the people who take part in the sport.  

“We have been delighted with the amount of clubs who have been successful in round one.  The run up to the games is a vital time for clubs to be inviting new people into sailing and the Inspired Facilities funding will help clubs nationwide to engage with and be at the heart of the local community.”  

One club to be successful were Helford River Sailing Club in Cornwall who were awarded a £50,000 grant to extend and modernise their club house.  

“It is fantastic to have been awarded with the funding. The application process was very straightforward and we were fortunate to get some really sound advice from the RYA Sport Development Team” said Garth Weaver from Helford River Sailing Club’s development team.  

Successful applicants must demonstrate that the need for investment is community led, that it will have a positive impact on the sport and that it is sustainable.  

“My advice to other clubs applying would be to start the process early. Try to produce some sketch plans of what you are trying to achieve, use the website to formulate your budget and think about how the improvements to your facilities could have positive outcomes in terms of keeping people in the sport and attracting new members” Garth concludes.  

For more information about the Inspired Facilities Funding and how to apply visit www.rya.org.uk/go/if  

Round two closing date is 5pm on 02 April 2012