Funding to tackle inactivity
From April 2017 Sport England will be accepting applications for the second round of its inactivity fund. The £3 million Tackling Inactivity and Economic Disadvantage fund will be available for projects which use sport and physical activity to improve lives and communities.
Research has shown that 32% of people in semi-routine and routine occupations, such as shop assistants and waitresses, are inactive. That compares to 17% of people in managerial and professional occupations. The Tackling Inactivity and Economic Disadvantage fund will support inactive people who have little income and are therefore economically disadvantaged. This group make up a third of the population in England aged 16 to 74 (14.6 million people).
Applications will be accepted from a wide range of community organisations, including non-sport organisations.
Two pots of funding will be available:
- Pot one – A £2 million fund which will support larger projects with funding of up to £500,000. This funding will be given to projects which target those who have little disposable income. Beneficiaries will likely live very ordered lives but find it hard to find time for physical activity or feel that being active is just not for them.
- Pot two – A £1 million fund for projects seeking funding of between £10,000 and £100,000. This funding will focus on those who are far less likely to have a steady income, or any income at all, living more chaotic lives with additional challenges. For example, they may have an offending background, be dealing with alcohol or drug misuse, or facing mental health issues.
Sport England says it knows that sport and physical activity can be extremely powerful in supporting positive social change for communities and individuals, that could mean using sport to improve someone’s mental wellbeing, help drive down crime rates in an area, or reduce social isolation in rural communities.
Applications are expected to open in mid-April 2017, for information is available at www.sportengland.org/funding/
