FLUTTER-FUNDED COMMUNITY SPORTS INITIATIVE NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FOR GRANTS

Clubs in Crisis, which is funded by gambling giant Flutter Entertainment, is now accepting applications from grassroots sports clubs in the UK. 

The initiative, which is a partnership between Flutter’s Cash4Clubs and Made by Sport, is aiming to help local community sports clubs which have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Community sports clubs will be eligible for grants of £2,021 each, with clubs being invited to apply through the Made by Sports site.

Flutter, which operates brands including Paddy Power and Betfair, has donated £4.8M GBP to the initiative – equivalent to the amount the firm received in business rates relief, from the government, for its retail betting shops between March 2020 and March 2021. 

Commenting on the news, Peter Jackson, Flutter CEO, said: “I’m delighted the Clubs in Crisis fund is now officially open to applications. Through Cash4Clubs we have a long history of supporting grassroots community sport, and I’m pleased we have been able to partner with Made by Sport to pass the benefit of business rates relief straight into the communities that need it most. We look forward to seeing the positive impact this funding will have for thousands of communities up and down the UK.”

AYO.NEWS says:

Though £2K might not seem like a lot, for many grassroots community sports clubs this could mean the difference between surviving into better times, or being forced to permanently close. It’s also worth remembering that, despite the apparent initial success of the UK’s vaccination campaign against the original and closely related virus strains, new variants, already emerging elsewhere, could render vaccines ineffective, meaning the crisis may be far from over. In that case, let’s hope firms like Flutter continue to support grassroots sports.