Funding Opportunities & Resources

Barclays Community Sport Fund - Female Coaches for Girls Fund

Background

The Barclays Community Sport Fund, delivered in partnership with Sported, aims to reduce inequalities in sport – with a focus on football, tennis, and cricket.

The three year funding programme, running from April 2025 to December 2027, will provide £1.4 million each year.

Objectives of Fund

The funding supports community groups and grassroots sports organisations who are working within the most deprived areas of the UK and are making sport more accessible to women and girls, as well as engaging people from other under-represented groups including people with disabilities, from racially diverse communities and from the LGBTQ+ community.

Currently only the Female Coaches for Girls Fund is open for applications with a deadline of 31 December 2025.

Value Notes

The programme offers:

• Female Coaches for Girls Grants to support football, tennis, and cricket coaching courses to help increase the number of female coaches delivering sport to girls. Two coaching grants per club to cover the cost of, or a contribution towards, a Level 1 or equivalent introductory qualification and any additional safeguarding and first aid requirements for the chosen sport. This is to upskill up to two female coaches at the club or group.
  • Level 1 coaching grants: Football - £160 grant; Tennis - £200 grant; Cricket - £200 grant.

The Fund also offers:

• Exclusive match tickets, mascot places, and promotional opportunities.
• Access to advice and support and signposting to training and resource.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be accepted from not-for-profit organisations including community groups, youth groups and traditional sports clubs.

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Deliver football, cricket, or tennis activities for women and girls – or are applying for funding to start.
• Operate in an area of high deprivation. The Government Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) are used to establish eligibility and only organisations located in or supporting people from IMD areas 1-3 are eligible to apply.

Disability applications from groups that sit outside of IMD areas 1-3 will be considered as long as they groups offer activities for women and girls.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Trips abroad.
• Costs associated with elite football or talent development.
• Talent development.
• Schools and other educational institutions. (Charities that support schools may be considered if they are inclusive of young people from the wider community and not just pupils from that school.)
• School curriculum-based activities.

Eligible Expenditure

The funding is unrestricted and can be used for anything that will support delivery of football, cricket, or tennis activities for women and girls.

Typical examples of costs might include a contribution towards:

• Venue hire including floodlights and heating.
• Coaching costs
• Volunteer expenses
• Equipment
• Kit
• Marketing and communications
• Training and qualifications
• Insurances and affiliation.

Ideally the funding should be spent within a six month period.

Location

UK

How To Apply

The female coaches for girls fund remains open until 31 December 2025.

The FAQs, application guidance, and online application form can be found on the Sported website.

Groups who are not a Sported member or existing grantee will need to create an account to start their application.

Please note it is anticipated that the fund will be 'extremely popular' and thus applications may close earlier than the deadline. Groups should apply early to avoid disappointment.

Contact Sported for further information.

Documents & links

• Barclays Community Sport Fund

Contacts

For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:

1. Sported Team
   Sported Foundation
   House of Sport (4th Floor)
   190 Great Dover Street
   London
   SE1 4YB
   Tel: 0203 848 4670
   Email: barclays@sported.org.uk

Background

Established in 1960, the Bernard Sunley Foundation is an independent grant-making charity that offers financial assistance to registered charities for a wide range of purposes.

Objectives of Fund

The aim of the foundation is to help raise the quality of life in England and Wales, particularly for the young, disadvantaged and older people.

Value Notes

The Foundation offers three levels of grants:

• Large grants of £25,000 and above.
• Medium grants up to £20,000.
• Small grants of £5,000 and under.

Grants are for capital projects of between £10,000 and £5 million.

Match Funding Restrictions

The foundation does not offer match funding. Grants are rarely more than 20% of the total budget. The foundation will very rarely fund the full costs (or even 50%) of a project or shortfall as it expects to be one of many contributors to a project.

Who Can Apply

Applications will be accepted from the following types of organisations with an annual income of less than £10 million:

• Charities registered in England and Wales
• Charitable Incorporated Organisations (CIOs) working in England and Wales
• Specialist schools
• Scout and guide groups
• Housing associations.
• Cooperatives and community benefit societies registered with the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority).

Applications are considered from all areas of England and Wales, particularly from rural and isolated communities.

Restrictions

The following are not eligible for funding:

• Charities registered outside England or Wales.
• Community amateur sports clubs (CASCs).
• Community interest companies (CICs).
• Unregistered community groups/clubs.
• Town and parish councils.
• Churches or other religious bodies with no or limited secular activity.
• NHS hospitals or charities fundraising on their behalf.
• Mainstream schools, colleges or universities, or charities fundraising on their behalf.
• Charities with an annual income of £10 million and over.
• Charities with an annual income of £1 million and over applying for a project costing less than £100,000. Special Educational Needs schools are excepted.
• Newly established charities with no previous annual accounts.
• Charities that have applied to us unsuccessfully within the previous 12 months.
• Charities applying for a new grant before an existing pledged grant has been paid.
• Individuals
• Project costs of over £5 million.
• Project costs of less than £10,000.
• Equipment such as IT infrastructure and AV systems, work tools, sports gear, musical instruments etc.
• Fittings such as electrical appliances and furniture.
• Church towers, bells or organs.
• Second hand vehicles.
• Capital fees – building surveys, planning applications or feasibility studies.
• Core costs – salaries, running and repair costs, websites and other IT, programmes, rent, utility bills.
• Heritage or conservation projects with no or limited community benefit.
• Medical or research medical equipment.
• Solar panels and/or battery storage (unless it is part of a wider project).

Following an application, organisations should not reapply for at least 12 months (from the date of the original application).

Eligible Expenditure

The funding is for one-off capital projects (not running costs) that fit into one of the following themes:

Community - projects should make a positive contribution to their neighbourhood and create a sense of belonging. These projects provide greater opportunities for families, the elderly, young people and children to get involved in sport and social activities. Churches are considered if their improvements benefit the wider community.

Community funding areas

• Churches
• Community Centres
• Rescue Services
• Sport
• Uniformed Groups
• Village Halls
• Youth Clubs

Health - projects need to provide an excellent standard of care and support in their communities. These include the creation of modern facilities for those suffering from a range of illnesses such as cancer, mental health or neurological conditions. They also include developing amenities such as gardens and outdoor spaces that provide relief and sanctuary for patients, their families and carers.

Health funding areas

• Animal Assisted Therapy
• Cancer
• Day Services for Disabled
• Hospices
• Medical Aid Overseas
• Mental Health
• Neurological
• Residential for Disabled
• Sight/Hearing Loss

Social Welfare - funding to assist the most vulnerable in society such as those seeking help with addiction, homelessness, ex-offenders and victims of domestic and sexual abuse.

Social welfare funding areas

• Animal Welfare
• Addiction and Rehabilitation
• Almshouses
• Armed Forces and Veterans
• Domestic and Sexual Abuse
• Elderly
• Ex-Offenders
• Homeless
• Poverty Relief Overseas
• Social Enterprises

Education - funding supports learning experiences and life skills for children and young people, particularly for the disadvantaged, those with disabilities or special needs. There is particular interest in projects that encourage young people to experience the outdoors and to try new pursuits.

Education funding areas

• Arts
• Countryside
• Literacy
• Music
• Outdoor Learning
• Special Needs Schools/Colleges

Location

England and Wales

How To Apply

The first step in the application process is to complete the online eligibility check. Those who are successful will be able to access the online application form.

Large and medium grant applications are considered at the Trustees’ meetings held in March, July and November.

Small grants are decided by Trustees on a monthly basis.

Contact the Bernard Sunley Foundation for further information.

Documents & links

• Bernard Sunley Foundation - Grant Giving

Contacts

For further information on how to obtain this fund, please contact the following:

1. Enquiries
   Bernard Sunley Foundation
   Green Park House
   15 Stratton Street
   London
   W1J 8LQ
   Tel: 020 3036 0090
   Email: office@bernardsunley.org