runningsports tips for small grant applications

 

If any of the clubs you support are thinking about, or are in the process of, applying for a small grant, runningsports, the portfolio created and funded by Sport England, can help.  If they’re short of time, they could read the runningsports’ Quick Guide - Fund-raising, Grants and Sponsorship. 

 

By signing up as a Network Member at www.runningsports.org , which is completely free, they can download the Guide, which is also free of charge.  There is a 3-hour workshop, Funding For Your Club, run at a time and place convenient for the volunteers, which provides practical ideas for raising money from a range of sources, including fund-raising events and sponsorship, to help increase their chances of successfully obtaining funding.  They’ll receive a workbook to accompany the workshop that they can take back to their club. And later this year, runningsports are launching a new workshop which will take them through the application process for small grants from Sport England.

 

To get started, here is a list of Dos and Don’ts for clubs to consider when applying for small grants.

• Do ensure the funding covers the items, activities or projects being applied for, otherwise it may be a waste of time
• Do have a specific project in mind when applying for a grant
• Do identify how income will be generated to continue the project once the initial funding has been used up
• Do complete a draft copy first - an application form containing mistakes can be difficult to follow and may give a poor impression
• Do submit the application in time to allow for queries to be resolved prior to any deadline
• Don’t rule out smaller types of grants – a number of small contributions could enable a  larger project to be completed
• Don’t be unrealistic about the amount of money being asked for
• Don’t send the application off without double checking all areas are complete and that all the relevant documentation has been included, in the requested format
• Don’t submit the application form without getting someone else to read it through first
• Don’t forget to provide the name of a contact person who is knowledgeable about the project and application, and who can be contacted in normal office hours

Sport England’s Small Grants Programme was launched in April, and has been set up to support local community sport projects. Sport England has other funding schemes detailed on their website www.sportengland.org.  

 

For more information on applying for funding, or to access runningsports’ range of resources (including the workshop calendar detailing when and where the workshops are running) all designed to support administrative volunteers working in sports clubs across the country, visit their website, www.runningsports.org  

 

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Olympic Fever… are you ready?

 

With three years to go Olympic fever is building, and whilst everyone’s attention is on Great Britain’s athletes in the lead up to the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, runningsports asks whether your club is ready for an influx of new members, inspired by watching the world’s best athletes.

 

Whilst Lord Coe is focused on delivering the Games, his promises of a legacy for young people are no doubt driven by his story of when he and Daley Thompson returned after their Olympic success in 1984:

 

“At a local club we found a queue 50 metres long of young people who had been inspired by the Olympics to get involved. It was heartbreaking seeing the club turning young people away because they just didn’t have the capacity.”

 

Although three years seems like a long time, it’s never too early to start preparing to make sure your club doesn’t feature in a similar story. If Great Britain win a medal in your sport at the London 2012 Olympics or Paralympics, will you have the capacity in your club to be able accommodate an influx of keen young beginners inspired by their success? Will you have the facilities? And, most importantly, will you have the skilled volunteers to organise the training sessions, promote the club and really make the most of what could be the best opportunity to recruit more members that you’ve ever had?

 

This is where runningsports can help, as we can offer a whole host of resources designed especially to give you and your fellow volunteers the helping hand you need to develop your club.

 

Not sure your club is well known in the area? Then maybe you need to do some local promotion. The runningsports Promoting and Marketing Your Club Quick Guide is available free of charge from the runningsports website (once you are signed in) and gives a detailed overview of the many ways in which you can reach out to new audiences and promote your club.

 

Not sure you have enough volunteers to cope with any new members? Then maybe you should consider runningsports Top Tips? Specifically Finding New Volunteers – Recruitment, Involving Older People as Volunteers and Young People as Volunteers, all of which give a brief overview of how to develop your club’s volunteering base.

 

Regardless of how your sport performs in the London 2012 Olympics or Paralympics, there is no denying that most of the country will be inspired by sport in the lead up to the Games, so why not use this exciting opportunity to develop your club by working more closely with your local community?

 

runningsports offers several workshops that will help you do this. The Developing Partnerships With Clubs and Schools workshop will help you to develop lasting partnerships with other clubs and schools in your area, ensuring a smooth transition from school to club sports for young people. The importance of working in partnership and identifying the right partners to work with can make all the difference in developing your club for the future.

 

The runningsports A Club for All workshop, besides being a prerequisite for Clubmark, is designed to ensure the doors of your sports club are open to everyone in your local community, providing a welcoming environment to anyone who may want to take part in your sport.  By ensuring your club can cater for the needs of the whole community, you will not only increase your membership, but may also improve your club’s chances of accessing funding.

 

So, when Great Britain is on the podium in the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, make sure your club is ready and prepared to meet the demand – Go Team GB!

 

For more information contact:

Workshop Administration:
Tel: 0800 363 373
Email: info@runningsports.org