The Community Grants Programme, supported by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, will distribute £1.9 million to local organisations across England, Scotland, and Wales that use sport and physical activity to achieve wider social impact. 

It will build on initiatives in 2024 when Sported distributed funding, raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, to organisations in areas of high deprivation and rural isolation across Scotland, positively impacting over 10,000 people from under-represented groups. 

The extended programme, offering grants of up to £25,000 and available to communities across all of Great Britain, will open for applications in March and aims to address a need underlined in new research from the charity that shows finding funding is the greatest priority for 82 per cent of these organisations. 

Sported, which directly supports 5,000 sports clubs and community groups across the country, will evaluate and distribute the grants on a region-by-region basis, working with six Postcode Trusts that receive funding that is raised by players of the Postcode Lottery.  

“We know the huge impact that grassroots sport has on our communities and the way it can transform lives of all ages,” said Sported’s head of partnerships Joanna Di Paola. 

“Funding is a pressing concern for so many of the organisations involved to ensure they remain financially sustainable and accessible and affordable to everyone. 

“Thanks to players of People’s Postcode Lottery, Sported will be able to get invaluable help to those who need it most so they can keep making a difference.” 

Ride in Peace Adventures, a community group in Aberdeenshire, was enabled to get more young people into mountain biking this year thanks to funding raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery and provided through Sported – with 16 young people get the opportunity to try mountain biking at RIPA’s Deeside Activity Park trails. 

Founder Chris Roper said: “I thought with this option of getting a grant, that we could provide an opportunity for those that maybe haven’t ridden a bike for a while, don’t have access to a bike or aren’t sure about it and want to try it. 

 “We’re hoping that when things are funded, people have more of an opportunity. Money’s not a barrier, bikes aren’t a barrier, the riding area isn’t a barrier.” 

Formal details of how to apply for the fund will be available in January.