A new pilot fund has been launched by Sport England with funding from the National Lottery. Awards of between £30,001 and £500,000 are available to fund sports projects that can best contribute to improving health while also growing weekly sports participation.
Sport England is focusing this funding on those who are least active and in this way plan to make a significant contribution to reducing health inequalities and producing the greatest potential health benefit in England.
Voluntary and community organisations, including sports clubs, across England can apply as long as they have a bona fide legitimate constitution. Sport England expects applications to come from collaborations between deliverers and academic organisations.
Funding is available for revenue projects that lead to increases in activity from those currently inactive, or provide support for those delivering projects that target this group to develop their expertise.
All Sport England recognised sports that encourage moderate intensity activity or more are eligible. Projects must target people aged 14 and above.
In particular the fund is seeking to support projects which answer at least one of the following questions:
• What is the role of sport within a health care pathway such as the Department of Health's Let's Get Moving programme?
• What is an effective, scalable and sustainable programme which can encourage the least active?
• How can more health care professionals (including Directors of Public Health, Clinical Commissioning groups and Health & Wellbeing Boards) be encouraged to advocate for, invest in and signpost to appropriate sporting programmes. What support is needed to deliver this?
• What support is needed for existing sporting providers to help them understand and meet the needs of the least active?
• How can the effectiveness of programmes best be measured?
For further information and to apply, visit: www.sportengland.org/funding/get_healthy,_get_into_sport.aspx, or contact 0845 850 8508, or email: [email protected].
The deadline to submit the expression of Interest form is: Friday 26 October 2012, 17:00