Barclays Community Football Fund
By Sported | 16th December 2021
Sported is delighted to announce a brand new, three-year collaboration with Barclays, which aims to make playing football more accessible at the grassroots level.
The Barclays Community Football Fund, in partnership with Sported, launches in 2022 and will offer grants and additional support resources to grassroots groups. The small grants will be dedicated to making football more accessible, and will continue our work, to reduce inequalities in the participation of sport and physical activity.
The small grants will be available 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 groups.
Through the programme, engagement will be focused on including and inspiring girls and young people from lower socio-economic and under-represented groups, including culturally diverse communities, young people with disabilities, and young people from the LGBTQ+ community.
Through the Fund, 5,550 community groups across the UK will receive grants, along with support, to develop inclusive football activities within their club. As a result, more than 150,000 young people will benefit from this fantastic collaboration.
“Football is a lifeline for many – it encourages teamwork, discipline, friendship, improved health and wellbeing, and a sense of community. It’s very exciting that this collaboration will get more children playing football, especially from under-represented groups. I know they will benefit from the game and all that comes with it.”
Eric Dier, Sported ambassador and Tottenham Hotspur defender
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.”
Nicola Walker, CEO Sported:
“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.”