Making funding accessible
Making it easier for everybody to apply for Sport England funding is a key pledge in our Uniting the Movement strategy.
The Movement Fund now operates with more open and less restrictive criteria, and it has become a single point of entry for grants and crowdfunding opportunities.
Applicants also have clearer expectations of our process and, as a result, we’re seeing National Lottery funding support a diverse range of projects.
Whether we're talking about first-time applicants, organisations that have received funding before or organisations that are brand new or well-established, the Movement Fund is helping more communities access the funding to make their projects a reality.
Like Par Track, which was awarded £10,000 to professionally deep clean and reline Cornwall's only UK Athletics licensed athletics track, helping them sustain opportunities for athletics, but also to support people of all ages to be active and to come together as a community.
Getting funding to where it is needed the most
The simplicity and openness of our Movement Fund is giving communities and organisations the freedom to identify local needs and to bring forward their own ideas too, enabling us to get National Lottery funding to where it is needed the most.
And 72% of funded projects through the Movement Fund are reaching people who are less likely to be active and that are in places where more need exists.
Funding is also helping organisations break down barriers to physical activity in their communities.
For example, Dance Mojo have been able to expand their Zumba sessions and have more impact in their community through their National Lottery funding support.
Additional targeted sessions have also helped the organisation remove financial barriers to participation, enabling people experiencing financial hardship or accessibility challenges to access tailored activities that otherwise would have been out of reach.
Meeting people and communities where they are at
Within the investment management team, we try to spend as much time as possible talking with the communities and visiting them too.
Whether that’s attending local events and funding fairs, or working with trusted local partners to share information and data about what we fund and where it goes.
Since January our dedicated investment advisers have had more than 38,500 interactions with people contacting our funding advice service for support and guidance.
Meeting more people and their communities where they are at, helps us understand their needs and it ensures we fund projects that provide opportunities for people to be themselves, like the activities delivered by The Joshua Tree.
Their National Lottery funding has enabled them to offer an inclusive physical activity and wellness programme for children and families affected by cancer, giving children a sense of their childhood back.
Something that’s key, because as explained by the organisation:
“When a child’s life is filled with hospitals (…) and worry, the opportunity to feel in control of their body, use it positively, and experience joy and confidence is incredibly powerful."
National Lottery funding really makes a huge difference by helping people feel welcome, confident, connected and able to take part in sport and physical activity in ways that work and matter to them.
This is why, every day, we feel privileged to play our part in turning lottery players’ contributions into opportunities that help communities change lives.
