Peterborough sports groups can apply for £10k grants

Sports and physical activity charity Living Sport is providing funding through Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund which was created to try and minimise the impact of Covid-19 on activity levels in under-represented groups.

Now in its second phase, the fund is supporting lower socio-economic groups, black and Asian minority ethnic communities, disabled people and people with long-term health conditions.

Living Sport, which aims to improve the health, happiness and wellbeing of the people of Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, provides grants of up to £10,000 to these groups and is now looking to reach more organisations in the city to support their participants to be more active.

The charity has so far supported 29 groups across Peterborough and Cambridgeshire, providing funding for personal protective equipment and cleaning resources, additional sports equipment, volunteer travel expenses and coach and instructor costs.

Gladstone Connect community centre is one of the groups that Living Sport has supported through the Tackling Inequalities Fund.

The centre wanted to run a ‘Healthy Living and Diabetes Intervention Project’ to create awareness and education and offer practical advice and tips on diet, exercise and wellness to allow people to become self-sufficient and independent in managing their health.

Michelle Bush-Batty, centre manager at Gladstone Connect, said: “We are so grateful of Living Sport for supporting us through the Tackling Inequalities Fund.

“We wanted to educate people and allow them to become self-sufficient and independent in managing their health, all while providing a positive, memorable experience. Thanks to Living Sport a lot of the women have lost weight which has given them a huge boost and proved they are heading in the right direction for their individual goal, all while having fun in a group atmosphere.”

Chief executive at Living Sport Simon Fairhall said: “The pandemic has brought into focus the structural inequalities that exist within our local communities. The Tackling Inequalities Fund has been created to try and reduce the widening of these disparities in sport and physical activity.

“We are so proud to play a key role in connecting local systems and allocating funds, as well as making a positive change to such important groups in Peterborough and the surrounding area.”

“Whether you offer a social group to adults with learning disabilities, a local support group for people with mental health conditions, or already offer activities but need funding to adapt them – taking them online or making them Covid secure - we want to hear from you.”

Also in Peterborough, Living Sport has supported Age UK, WestRaven Community Garden and Café, Peterborough Area Down’s Syndrome Group and Peterborough and District Deaf Children’s Society.

The Tackling Inequalities Fund forms part of a £210 million support package provided by Sport England to help the sport and physical activity sector through the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

To apply for support or to find out more, email Rebecca Evans at [email protected] or call 07739 655062.

To find out more about Living Sport, visit: https://www.livingsport.co.uk/.