Cork sports clubs urged to apply for small grants to cover Covid-19 re-opening costs

SPORTS clubs across Cork have been urged to avail of a dedicated small grants scheme aimed at helping them get back on their feet following the Covid-19 lockdown.

The scheme is being administered by the Cork Sports Partnership though Sport Ireland following the announcement of a €70 million support package announced by the Government aimed at supporting the sports sector as it begins the process of recovering from the impact of the pandemic.

The scheme is separate to the Sports Club Resilience Fund, which will be delivered through National Governing Bodies.

Maurice O’Sullivan, marketing manager with the Cork Sports Partnership said the Covid-19 Small Grant Scheme will allow applicants to access funding of up to €1,500 to allow clubs and groups cover Covid-19 related re-opening costs.

“The initiative is designed to support clubs that do not have the finances to implement Covid-19 related hygiene and social distancing protocols and can be used to support related expenditure dating from May 2 onwards,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

He said, given the limited amount of funding available, clubs that already have finances available to implement protocols should not apply for funding under the scheme.

“This grant scheme is designed and intended to support return to sporting activities only and cannot be used to support Covid-19 costs related to the commercial sector such as gyms, boot-camps or hospitality services such as bars or restaurants within sports or community facilities,” said the spokesperson.

“Cork Sports Partnership and Sport Ireland will work together to ensure that the investment is distributed fairly and every effort will be made to ensure that the wider sporting community benefits from this scheme,” they insisted.

The maximum funding available per application is €1,500. All applications will be means tested and only those deemed to have the most need will be eligible for the full amount.

Mr O’Sullivan said clubs should not feel that they have to apply for the maximum grant to be considered for support.

“Cork Sports Partnership welcomes the announcement of this financial support for sports clubs. We encourage all sports clubs and groups in Cork to assess their need for financial support towards COVID-19 related hygiene and social distancing protocols before applying,” said Mr O’Sullivan.

We look forward to working with Sport Ireland to support as many Cork clubs as possible through this scheme,” he said.

For more information on the scheme visit www.corksports.ie or send an email mosullivan@ corksports.ie.