Flood relief for clubs from Sport England 

£5m of funding available for sports clubs that have suffered flood damage.

Sport England’s Flood Relief Fund will invest £5 million of National Lottery funding into sports facilities that have been damaged as a result of the floods and storms.  

To help Sport England assess the full extent of the damage and consult with the worst affected areas they are asking clubs, charities and similar organisations to register their interest.  

Those needing funding to clean up and get up and running quickly can request up to £2,000 of emergency funding which could be awarded very quickly. Those with more extensive damage which will take longer to repair will be invited to apply.  

According to Sport England priority will be given to pitch-based sports and water sports as their networks tell them that these sports have been most affected.  

The fund will help rebuild these facilities including pitches, clubhouses, lighting, slipways and changing rooms  

How to apply

To access the funding each organisation must complete the Interest Registration form found on the Sport England website and submit it to Sport England at floodrelief@sportengland.org.  

Once the form has been submitted Sport England will contact you to advise you how to progress your application.  

This could be in one of three ways:

1. You will be invited to complete a short application form for emergency funding from the Flood Relief Fund of up to £2,000.   This will be awarded within three weeks of completing the application form.

Emergency funding is for those organisations that need minor works, such as skip hire to remove sediment and rubbish, minor electrical works to restore power or cleaning work to get showers and changing rooms back up and running.  

2. You will be invited to complete an application form to request larger grants from the Flood Relief Fund to rectify more extensive damage. This will be through an online portal which will be available to access to submit applications from 24th March.  

3. You may be advised that you are not eligible to apply to the Flood Relief Fund, but Sport England will provide you with advice about other organisations or sources of funding – from other Sport England funds, NGBs or other sources - that could be an option for financial help and advice.  

Go to the Sport England website for more information and to register your interest. http://sportengland.org/funding/our-different-funds/flood-relief-fund/  

You can contact also Sport England on 08458 508 508 for any further guidance on the fund.

Image: Desborough Sailing Club during the floods.