Clubs in Crisis fund delivers impact through sport

Whilst we eagerly await more Team GB news from the Tokyo Olympics, we’re celebrating a huge boost for sporting clubs closer to home here in Scotland. 

More than £138,000 has just been awarded to 65 grassroots organisations across the country, thanks to the Clubs in Crisis Fund from Made by Sport. 

From boxing to cycling, football to cricket, the range of successful sporting projects all demonstrated they were using sport in their communities to deliver positive social impact. 

We first launched the Clubs in Crisis in April to encourage sport for development amongst young people under 25. Outcomes the fund seek to support include the development of life skills, improvement in mental health and using sport to help tackle crime and anti-social behaviour. 

Made By Sport Chief Executive, Sophie Mason, said:  

"We're delighted to be able to provide grants through our Clubs in Crisis fund across Scotland. As well as helping to overcome mental health challenges, sport is also a way to tackle important social issues such as reducing crime and anti-social behaviour as well as increasing life and employment skills and opportunities. That’s why it’s essential we are able to give this money to such great community groups and clubs. 

 

Access to sport will provide people with more confidence, more resilience, and better mental and physical health. We believe funders and policy makers should consider sport in a different context".

Glasgow charity Boots and Beards was one of the successful applicants, receiving an award of £2,021. Boots and Beards addresses a number of issues disproportionately affecting the South Asian community and, more broadly, the minority ethnic population living in Glasgow. This includes poorer levels of social engagement, engagement with the outdoor environment and physical/mental health. 

The money from Clubs in Crisis will be used to deliver extra outdoor and sporting activities which aim to improve the mental health of young members of the Glasgow BAME community who have been adversely and disproportionately affected by Covid-19. 

Zain Sehgal from Boots and Beards said:   

"We are thrilled to receive this grant. Covid-19 has had a devastating impact on BAME groups - more so than any other groups. Our services have been inundated with enquiries and people looking to embrace the outdoors for their mental and physical health wellbeing.

 

This fund through Foundation Scotland allows us to plan, execute and constantly evaluate our services to our community - in line with the ever-changing guidelines which has added more time and paperwork.

 

Further north in Moray, the Thursday Club in Buckie is using their award to offer skills development and employability opportunities for young volunteers at their swimming club."  

Their £2,021 award will allow the club to provide training courses for four young club volunteers to enable them to become swimming teachers. The trainee teachers will develop life skills by taking part in the training, supporting the children and young members of the club under 12 with their swimming in the pool, and providing future employability opportunities.

Valerie Reid from the Thursday Club said: 

"Our successful grant from the Clubs in Crisis Fund means we can continue and provide training for 4 more of our young volunteers to become fully qualified swimming teachers to teach our children: without the teachers, we could not run.

 

Swimming is such an important life skill for us living here on the coast, and many of the youngsters also swim competitively for Buckie ASC.  We have secured four places in upcoming teaching courses thanks to the funding, and our young volunteers are looking forward to gaining a lifetime qualification.

 

Thank you to the Clubs in Crisis Fund – without your support we would not be able to provide a vital life skill for the children in our community or support our young volunteers in gaining a recognised qualification."

Other clubs and organisations amongst the 65 grantees receiving funding included Doon Valley Boxing, 1st Vale of Leven Boys Brigade, Perth Harriers and Lochend Football Academy.  For a complete list of funded projects, visit the Clubs in Crisis 'projects we've funded' page.

Following the success of the April round of funding, the Clubs in Crisis Fund has now reopened and is inviting more organisations to apply.   The application deadline is 30th August. To find out more and how to apply, visit the Clubs in Crisis Fund page.  

Examples of activities and project costs previously funded include; costs for equipment, staff, or kit to safely re-start sport for development; costs for coaching or training to support young people to develop qualifications in sport; and costs for core delivery of services that focus on sport for development. The maximum award is £2,021.