Nottinghamshire community clubs to benefit from Sports Legacy grant

There are some eye-catching applications which will ensure a little money really does go a long way and give vital support to grassroots community sport.

The money will replace ageing Mini Soccer equipment which has been used for 10 years and is in urgent need of replacement.

The county council received bids in excess of £1m from 9th October to the end of the year following the launch of the grassroots community sports fund just 12 weeks ago.

It has decided to seize on the enthusiasm generated by London 2012 and the volume of bids by approving some of the lowest level funds so that grant applications can be processed.

These were Kick Start Rapid grants worth between £500 and £2,000 with £28,000 having now been allocated.

The £1m Olympic and Paralympic Legacy pot features two further streams of funding – Kick Start grants of £500-£10,000 and Game Changer grants of £10,000 to £50,000 to help local sports organisations promote sport and nurture talent to find the sports stars of the future.

In both schemes, sports clubs need to be able to demonstrate how the funding will be used to support increased participation and/or improve the performance of club members. As well as providing direct financial support, the grants scheme will also support club efforts to lever in additional matched funding from other sources.

The council’s culture committee will assess more of the bids at its next meeting in February including the larger applications and the remaining Kick Start Rapid applications.

Announcing the first successful recipients under Kick Start Rapid, Coun John Cottee, Culture Committee Chairman at Nottinghamshire County Council said: “We are delighted that the Sports Legacy Fund has captured the imagination of local people and it is superb that so many people have taken the time and effort to apply.

“We anticipated a need for sports funding following London 2012 and the response has been terrific. We are also determined to ensure we build on the legacy of the Games without delay – which is why we are pleased to announce the first of the small scale grants.

“Congratulations to all of those successful applications – this money is sure to make a real difference and we look forward to looking at more of the bids in the coming weeks.”