Minister launches £25m Sport sustainability fund

Date published: 3 December 2020

The fund, which will be administered by Sport NI, is designed to help those clubs and governing bodies who have been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Minister said

“This Fund will provide the sports sector with the financial support it needs to ensure it can cope with and recover from the impact of the Covid restrictions and the ongoing challenges the pandemic is presenting.

“The restrictions imposed on sport since the start of the pandemic have had a serious financial impact on sports Governing Bodies, clubs and sporting organisations. The restrictions, which have been necessary to protect the health service and save lives, have resulted in limited opportunities for organisations to generate income in the usual ways such as club membership, running events and competitions, having spectators at games and by attracting sponsorship.

“The Sustainability Fund will provide much needed support to alleviate financial hardship and go some way to meeting the financial needs of the sector. It will be transparent, equitable, evidence based and specific to Covid related losses.

The Minister added:

“I have also protected funding assigned to Disability Sport NI and Special Olympics whose activities have been severely impacted during the pandemic.

"This collective support demonstrates my commitment to ensuring that sports Governing Bodies and their clubs, who have done so much for communities during this pandemic, are in a strong position moving forward as we learn to live, and play, with the virus for the time being.”

The fund will be administered by Sport NI and will be open from 4 December 2020. More information will be available from 9am tomorrow morning on the Sport NI website at www.sportni.net

CEO of Sport NI Antoinette McKeown said: ‘’The Sport Sustainability Fund is critical to ensure the survival of sports in financial hardship, as a result of the impacts of COVID19. This much needed public funding will sustain those sporting organisations, who can clearly and transparently evidence a financial need, caused by this pandemic.

“This funding will also enable the sports sector to be sustained through this crisis, so they can continue to support our communities at this time and then help us emerge from this crisis, by delivering the physical, emotional and mental health benefits of sport in our communities.”