Sport England are making £16.5 million of National Lottery and government funding available immediately to help local clubs and community organisations return to play.

The Return to Play Fund will support groups, clubs and organisations who’ve been impacted by restrictions brought in to tackle the disease, and is part of our overall response to the crisis that now includes more than £220m of government and National Lottery funding.

There will be 3 part to the fund

1. £10m - Return to Play: Small Grants

This will provide grants of between £300 and £10,000 to help sport and activity groups, clubs and organisations respond to the immediate challenges of returning to play in a Covid-19-safe environment.

It’ll help community sport respond to the challenges posed, such as having to deliver in smaller groups, having the correct hygiene and safety equipment and giving training to club volunteers.

It’ll also cover making necessary changes to facilities, supplying additional sports equipment and new signage to meet current government and national governing body rules and guidance.

2. £5m - Return to Play: Community Asset Fund

This will provide grants ranging in value from £10,001 to £50,000. It’ll help local sports clubs and organisations to adapt and open important places and spaces that can help them welcome back their local community safely. 

This will include helping groups, clubs and organisations address the challenges they’re facing by: 

• adapting how they use space and improving ventilation

• converting existing space to meet social distancing requirements, such as additional changing space

• making improvements to buildings or open spaces for temporary use to get more people active by using a vacant warehouse, shop or community centre.

3. £1.5m - Return to Play: Active Together

This crowdfunding initiative will help sports clubs and organisations set up their own campaigns to help sustain them through the crisis.

It's a great alternative if they don’t meet the priority groups of the other parts of the Return to Play package, and we'll match crowd funds of up to £10,000 to help cover the loss of income.

The partnership with Crowdfunder will also include advice, guidance and training to help create successful campaigns.

The Return to Play Fund will especially seek to support those groups and organisations working with audiences we’ve identified as finding it more difficult to be active at this time.

These include:

• Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities

• people on lower incomes

• those disproportionately affected financially as a result of the crisis

• disabled people and people with long-term health conditions

• those who are experiencing a greater burden of care responsibilities since the pandemic began.

Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said the new funding would make a big difference as winter approached. 

“Local clubs offer so much to their communities and it’s hugely important that we support them to keep people fit and healthy as we head into winter,” he explained.  

“This welcome funding will enable people across the country to enjoy sport safely, boosting their mental and physical health in the months ahead.”