£25M Sports Sustainability Fund To Open

A £25M Sports Sustainability Fund, to help those clubs and governing bodies who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, will open for applications tomorrow, Communities Minister Carál Ní Chuilín has announced.

Minister Ní Chuilín said: "This Fund will provide the sports sector with the financial support it needs to ensure it can cope with and recover from the impact of the Covid restrictions and the ongoing challenges the pandemic is presenting.

"The restrictions imposed on sport since the start of the pandemic have had a serious financial impact on sports Governing Bodies, clubs and sporting organisations. The restrictions, which have been necessary to protect the health service and save lives, have resulted in limited opportunities for organisations to generate income in the usual ways such as club membership, running events and competitions, having spectators at games and by attracting sponsorship.

"The Sustainability Fund will provide much needed support to alleviate financial hardship and go some way to meeting the financial needs of the sector. It will be transparent, equitable, evidence based and specific to Covid related losses.

The Minister added: "I have also protected funding assigned to Disability Sport NI and Special Olympics whose activities have been severely impacted during the pandemic.

"This collective support demonstrates my commitment to ensuring that sports Governing Bodies and their clubs, who have done so much for communities during this pandemic, are in a strong position moving forward as we learn to live, and play, with the virus for the time being."

The fund will be administered by Sport NI and will be open from 4 December 2020.