Sported is delighted to partner with Barclays on the Barclays Community Football Fund, offering small grants, training, kit, and exclusive ticketing offers to hundreds of clubs across the UK to make football more accessible in our communities.
After a successful launch last year, the 2023 programme is now open – providing grants and exclusive offers for groups delivering football activities to the most under-represented groups.
Through the Barclays Community Football Fund, Sported is creating opportunities for all young people through access to football – supporting the growth in participation at every level.
The programme provides access grants of £500 for groups wishing to start offering football, those keen to expand their existing provision to new audiences, or those already delivering football to under-represented young people.
This includes girls, young people from racially diverse communities, young people with disabilities, young people from the LGBTQ+ community and those from lower socio-economic groups.
Alongside the access grants, we have additional pots of funding and support resources for groups doing deeper impact work with under-represented young people.
Together, we will reduce the inequalities in participation and help all young people to benefit from taking part in football in their community.
Click here to find out more and apply (you will need to register an account to access some of these page).
“We are thrilled to be working with Barclays on this truly transformative project. They have done so much to make football accessible and we are excited to be bringing their support to community groups. We know that there is a huge difference between the number of boys and girls who are currently benefitting from the game of football and this project seeks to address that.
Sadly, there are also other groups who are also under-represented at football groups – culturally diverse communities, people with disabilities, people from the LGBTQ+ community and those from lower socio-economic groups – and Sported’s aim is to tackle these existing inequalities , so that every young person has the same opportunity to fulfil their potential. To have the opportunity to work with Barclays in communities to tackle this issue is a privilege.”
Nicola Walker, CEO Sported
Tom Corbett, Group Head of Sponsorship and Media, Barclays :
“We are delighted to announce this new fund which will support communities through football. Barclays has done much to support the elite game and the accessibility of football through schools. Through this partnership with Sported we can create greater and more equal access to football through community groups and help to provide more opportunities for all. Football is about so much more than fitness and fun; it brings communities together and creates positive environments for young people to thrive.”