New clubs handed chance to net £1,500 boost
New clubs wanting to join either the Scarborough Sunday League, Saturday League or junior leagues can net up to £1,500 with the Grow The Game grant.
The Football Foundation’s Grow the Game scheme provides grants of up to £1,500 for the creation of new football teams and coaching qualifications, with money provided by The FA.
Sunday League chairman Mark Plumpton, who also manages Saturday League outfit Goalsports and Sunday League top-flight team Ayton, said: “There’s a team coming into the Sunday League called Shakespeare using it for next season.
“In the Scarborough Saturday League Goal Sports and Edgehill 3rds, and in the Sunday League Ayton Reserves and Angel have all used it to great success.
“The Grow the Game grant is a no- brainer for those interested in grassroots football and creating a team, it gives you the stability financially to set your club up which from our research is always the number one concern when clubs are being created.
“The funding can be used for reserve teams too but it can only be used to bring new players into adult football and not to be used to dissolve one team to create another.”
The scheme is delivered by the Foundation.
The Grow the Game application window is open until Wednesday March 29, and the following types of team are eligible: male teams - Under-14s to adult, female teams - UnderSevens to adult and disability teams.
Grow the Game provides funding for projects that use football to increase participation by both players and volunteers.
Applications are welcome from organisations that are ‘not for profit’ and planning to set up one or more new football teams over the next two years.
Organisations must have a signed constitution (with an appropriate dissolution clause), child protection policy, equal opportunities policy, bank statements and income/ expenditure records (for all accounts held by the organisation).
Organisations are able to receive a grant of £1,500 per new team created over two or three years with financial support being reduced in the second or third year.
Clubs will be required to contribute some elements of cost towards to the new teams, however evidence of partnership funding will not be requested.
To apply for the grant follow this link: http://www. footballfoundation.org.uk/ funding-schemes/grow-thegame/