Sported’s Black Community Sport and Physical Activity Fund provides up to £10,000 in financial support to groups and organisations in London who are Black-led and serving Black communities.
Offered with the assistance of our partners – Greater London Authority, London Sport, Sport England, London Marathon Foundation and The Social Change Agency – we are offering grants towards the costs of delivering sport and physical activity.
The fund was launched in December 2022 to deliver resources to an under-served part of the community – one making a huge and positive difference in the lives of young people and in our society.
The Fund is open to all groups that meet our designated criteria – however priority will be given to applications with a focus on:
- Lower socio-economic groups
- Participants with disabilities
- Long-term health conditions
- Young people at risk of violence or gang influence
We will also prioritise innovation and support for new groups that may have previously been unsuccessful with funding bids. This fund is about how you can positively impact your community.
What can the Black Community Sport and Physical Activity Fund be used for?
Use of this grant can be used towards any upcoming costs including:
- Costs arising from adverse effects of COVID 19 or cost of living crisis
- Salaries (not more than 30% of total budget)
- Venue hire/rent
- Equipment (not just sports equipment)
- Coaching costs
- Training and qualifications
- Affiliation/membership fees
- Utilities/bills
- Sport and exercise facilities for mobility-challenged people.
- Transportation for mobility-challenged people to access sports and exercise venues
It cannot be used for capital works or previously-committed expenditure
Sported member? Find out more about applying for funding here.
Not a member but want to learn more about getting help from Sported? Register here to find out more.
Applications for the fund close on 22nd January 2023.
More on Sported’s Black Community Sport and Physical Activity Fund
From an initial pot of £140,000, Sported has created a fund specifically for London-based organisations which are Black-led or serving Black communities.
It is informed by the ‘Tackling Racism at the Grassroots’ research report, produced by Sported’s own Insight team, which identified imbalances and barriers within traditional routes to funding and fundraising.
It underlined that Black-centred groups in community sport, as well as throughout the charitable sector, face significant challenges with access to grants and financial support.
To address that, Sported has committed to an innovative model of participatory grant-making, one which puts the people and communities we want to benefit at the heart of decision-making.
We have recruited Black community leaders from within our membership to drive the fund and ensure the money delivers immediate benefit and long-lasting impact.
We believe that this will result in more balanced and effective funding decisions and outcomes. Sported will be accountable, accessible, transparent and collaborative in how we allocate the money available.
Our ambition is to promote greater community engagement. And to keep building confidence, trust, connectedness, and leadership within communities that are under-served.
As well as our partners, this fund would not be possible without the input and hard work of our community leaders who have given up their time positively shape this fund. They are:
- Billy Grant – Barnet Panthers
- Claudine Boothe – Institute of Black Culture, Media and Sport CIC
- Danny Hibbert – Community Switch Sports CIC
- Ewemade Orobator – Communities First
- Mark Lancaster – Gmax Trackstars
- Oluwole Olusegun – Keepfit4Christ Sports Club