Playing fields are one of the most important resources for sport in England but many of them become waterlogged or in a state of disrepair, so we are investing £28 million of National Lottery funding into improving community sports fields.
The Protecting Playing Fields funding programme is part of Sport England’s strategy which is focused on helping more people acquire lifelong sporting habits. It will invest in capital projects to either create new natural turf pitches or improve existing ones that need levelling or drainage works. The programme is being delivered via funding rounds with approximately £4 million being awarded to projects in each round. The first six rounds of funding have benefited 399 projects.
Written notification of decisions for Round 7 Protecting Playing Field applications will be sent out on Thursday 7 May.
If you have not received your letter by Tuesday 12 May or wish to discuss the letter with the Grants Team , please call our funding helpline on 08458 508 508.
Round 8 will open on 14 September 2015 and close at 5pm on 2 November 2015.
These webpages, the guide and FAQs will provide all you need to find out more about Protecting Playing Fields including how to apply, how your application will be assessed and what we’re looking for.
We recommend that you complete the self-assessment checklist which will give you a quick indication of whether Protecting Playing Fields is the right programme for you. There is a checklist for different types of organisation, such as local authorities, education establishments and community or voluntary organisations to download from the documents section below.
Important change to PPF Policy
Sport England now requires a legal charge (or restriction on title for local authorities) over the land as a form of security on the investment on successful projects BEFORE work starts on site.
This means that the charge MUST be in place and registered at HM Land Registry (and where relevant, at Companies House) before any physical work can begin on your pitch(es).
To enable the charge or restriction to be in place and registered in time for your project to start at the earliest time, successful projects will need to instruct their solicitor to carry out this work as soon as the award offer is accepted.
Further information about grant security is provided in our FAQs.