Funding Opportunities For Clubs

Applying For Sport England's New Resource. Part 2:
News Posted 17th April 2009

Sport England has launched a new funding source for Sport Clubs replacing the Awards For All and Community Investment Fund. Part 1 of this article (Part:1 Funding Sport In The Community) described how the £45,000,000 will be distributed each year.

Part 2 describes what to expect during the application process and what can be done to ensure that any bids are successful. If getting a share of £45, 000, 000 is not enough for Go-Ride clubs out in the regions, part 3 will describe other supplementary sources of income that clubs can utilise to ensure that the club can guarantee increased revenue year upon year.

Watch out for the best practice recommendations that will appear in bold in each section of this report.

Pre-requisites
When completing the application form online (http://funding.sportengland.org/) a Go-Ride club will have to submit:
                     A project plan (project plan template)
                     Their club constitution (Model Constitution)
                     Club accounts

Planning
Clubs are required to submit a project plan separate to the information used on the application form. This demonstrates that the club is committed to the project and has not just submitted an application “off the cuff.”

The benefit this brings is that the club has a document clearly outlining what it wants to achieve and a document with all the information required on the application form, thus making completing the application form simpler and quicker.

The following link (project plan template) is a plan template and by including the following information a Go-Ride club can be at the front of the queue when the monies are handed out.

          1. Project Outline
                     Describe the project by:
                     Listing the project objective
                     Listing the desired outcomes
                     List key tasks of the project e.g. enrol on coaching courses
                     Listing the key people involved in the project
                     Who will benefit

Remember to follow the SMART principle for Goal Setting. Any information and objectives need to be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time Based.

          2. Timescales
          When listing the outcomes and key tasks of a project ensure that:
                    All deadlines for the start are listed
                    All deadlines for completion are listed
 

          3. Financial Information
         Create a project budget detailing:
                    When resources will be bought
                    How much will resources cost
                    How money will be raised for the resources
                                             
          4. The project
         Write a brief description of:
                    What need exists?
                    What is going to be done?
                    What potential barriers to success exist?
                    Who will benefit from the project? i.e. which demographics

Remember specific information is best so research the need via www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/dissemination and http://www.sportengland.org/index/get_resources/research.htm.

          5. National Agenda
          Which of the key Sport England agendas will the project tackle? Will it tackle
                    Growth
                    Sustainability
                    Excel
                    Contribution to the 5 hour offer
                    Increase peoples satisfaction in sport

          6. Interest
          State who will be interested in the project, is it of interest to:
                    The Club                                 Wider Community
                    The region                              The nation

          7. Organisation
          Has the club got the required volunteer help to succeed and if not how will they be recruited?

          8. Effectiveness
           Ensure that the club has a plan to:
                    Continuously monitor the progress of the project
                    Evaluate the effectiveness upon completion

Remember to share the workload of the project equally among several volunteers. Perhaps the club can appoint a Funding Coordinator. Someone who will complete the application form and complete any evaluation forms so that other volunteers can concentrate on delivering the project.

By including these 8 sections in a project plan a Go-Ride Club will have accounted for all the variables that Sport England are concerned about in their application, and the club will be able to progress through the aplication form quickly. The following link (project plan template) will allow people to download a template for making a project plan that includes all these sections.

Remember, by completing the 4 page project plan template clubs will be able to move swiftly through the online application form.

Related Articles - Part:1 Funding Sport In The Community