Carlisle community-based sports groups suffering from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic can still apply to a fund to help them reopen.
Carlisle City Council and Cumbria County Council launched the Sport Hardship Fund in January.
As part of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown organised outdoor sports were able to restart from Monday March 29 and the fund was extended to support local sports clubs to reopen in a COVID secure way.
Many of which, due to the pandemic, have been forced to close for long periods of time which has resulted in a significant loss of income coming into the club. Funding has helped prevent the closure of such clubs and has supported the purchase of additional equipment to ensure COVID compliance.
Currock Amateur Boxing Club have recently received funding from the fund for the payment of a registration fee with their national governing body.
Gary McGarvie, of the club, said: “Things have been really hard due to the COVID pandemic and with us not being able to open we haven’t been able to receive any income.
“The grant will enable us to carry on for another year and help towards paying our subscription to England Boxing, we can then set up our satellite club in other areas of the city to try attract the youths from these areas.
“On behalf of everyone at Currock House Boxing Club I just want to say a massive thank you.”
Youth Football Club Gillford Park FC were awarded a grant in March. The club was in danger of closing due to a lack of income coming into the club as a result of the pandemic.
Jackie Hayhow, of the club, said: “We are so grateful for the funding we had received, this money will enable us to bridge the shortfall due to the lack of subscriptions we had received due to entering two lock downs within the most expensive time of the football season, ie winter training facilities and match pitch fees.
“Some of our football family circumstances had changed so we are now in a position to give them a little bit of breathing space too.”
The fund will continue to prioritise financial support to not-for-profit sporting organisations which have reducing financial resources resulting in hardship and possible closure, due to the pandemic.
Sports clubs wanting to apply or to find out more about the funding scheme should contact [email protected]
Additional information for other sources of funding can be found on the Active Cumbria website https://www.activecumbria.org/workforce/funding/ or contact Aileen Grant, Carlisle Locality Officer at [email protected]
