Acting on its commitment to Do More for Communities, Flutter UKI is providing 200 community sporting organisations across the UK and Ireland with the opportunity to apply for grants of £2,000 to improve their facilities, purchase new equipment, run coaching programmes and drive participation in sports.

Last year’s winners included Basa in Rochdale, which runs fitness classes for over 60’s women, the Gosport Bowmen archery club in Hampshire and the London Wheelchair rugby club – who sent four players to the ParalympicsGB squad in Paris.

Of the clubs awarded funding last year, over 85% said they had been able to deliver more activities – and a total of 9000 new people aged 18 or over had engaged in health and fitness programmes as a result.

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Dame Caroline Dinenage, Conservative MP and chair of the cross-party DCMS Select Committee, said: “I hope that grassroots clubs will make the most of the opportunity to apply for a Cash4Clubs grant.

“These clubs do great work in our communities, bringing people together, getting them active and developing new skills and passions. This money will make a huge difference.”

Since Cash4Clubs was launched in 2008, nearly £6 million has been invested into community sports by Flutter through its brands, which include Paddy Power, Sky Betting & Gaming, Betfair and tombola.

Ian Brown, Chief Executive of Flutter UKI, said: “The stunning success of Team GB at the Paris Olympics and Paralympics once again highlighted the power of sport. We hope Cash4Clubs can play an important part in helping at the grassroots level by enabling small clubs to play an even bigger role in their community.

“There are priceless benefits in people trying out a sport for the first time, getting active or having the confidence to take their hobby to the next level. We believe this programme can make a real difference in the areas that need it most.”

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Flutter UKI is working with leading UK charity Sported to deliver the Cash4Clubs programme. Two hundred bids will be selected for funding by the awards panel, with a particular emphasis this year on clubs in impoverished areas trying to boost participation.

Sport England has a 10-year to improve the lives and communities in England through physical activity and sport.

While sports activity has recovered from the pandemic, a parliamentary report last year warned there has been little progress in tackling barriers to participation in sport and physical activity across England.

The House of Commons Public Accounts Committee said nearly two in five adults in England still do not meet guidelines for recommended activity.

Sarah Kaye, Chief Executive of Sported, said: “We continue to see people who are increasingly at risk of being unable to access the benefits of sport because of the growing financial challenges faced by grassroots groups.

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“It’s a privilege to partner with Flutter on Cash4Clubs and we will ensure.”

One of last year’s winners, Welcome House Hull, used the Cash4Clubs grant to help set up Acorn FC, a football team made up exclusively of refugees and asylum seekers. They went on to make history by playing the first competitive match in the UK between asylum seeker teams.

Shirley Hart of Welcome House, commented: “We formed our football team Acorn FC and with the money from the grant we could be taken seriously as we could practise more, appear more professional, play better. We teamed up with Active Through Football and made history by playing the first inter-city asylum seeker competitive football match. We could not have done this without your grant.”

Craig Streeter, Vice Chairman of the London Wheelchair Rugby Club, said: “We appreciate all donations of any amount and would like to say a huge thank you to Cash4Clubs. These donations help fund anything from tournaments to tape and are essential in the progression of the club and our members.

“We certainly do encourage other clubs to apply for the scheme. Wheelchair Rugby is an expensive sport, and any ease of financial burden helps our players from grass roots to Paralympic glory.”

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