Sports clubs, charities, voluntary organisations and PTAs can receive up to £5,000 match-funding through Sport NI’s latest crowdfunding partnership programme – Creating Opportunities.
Made possible thanks to funding from the National Lottery, Creating Opportunities is focused on accessibility and inclusion, supporting clubs and other organisations to set up new initiatives to remove the barriers preventing people from participating in sport.
The programme opened in August and now includes equipment costs as well as additional coaching, venue hire, and educational workshop delivery required to run participation programmes.
Richard Archibald, Sport NI Interim CEO, said: “Our Creating Opportunities programme is focused on levelling the playing field and providing opportunities for more people, of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to participate in sport. We are investing £500,000 a year in sporting participation projects within clubs, charities, voluntary organisations, and PTAs.
“Sport is at the heart of our local communities and has the power to bring people together. Creating Opportunities is a chance for communities to support their local clubs and other organisations and thanks to The National Lottery, we can offer match-funding of up to £5,000 depending on how much a local community gets behind their project.”
Many clubs have already started their crowdfunding campaigns to deliver a range of different activities including guided walks and programmes to reduce social isolation, volunteer training and bespoke participation sessions for under-represented groups including women and girls, older people, people with a disability and ethnic minorities.
Ulster University Volleyball Club in Coleraine seized the opportunity and were awarded over £1000 of match-funding after raising £2,346 through their crowdfunding campaign.
The money will be used to cover the costs of running two tournaments for beginners and 14 weekly beginner sessions. These sessions will be free & therefore remove the financial obstacles to participate in sport.
Additionally, the club will be reaching out across the university campus to invite members of various societies to ensure a diverse and vibrant community of participants.
Sport NI’s Creating Opportunities investment programme is made possible thanks to National Lottery players who raise more than £30m for good causes each week.
This month the National Lottery celebrated its 30th birthday and since 1994 has awarded more than £189 million to elite and grassroots sports projects in Northern Ireland.
To find out more about how you could raise vital funds as a club, charity, voluntary organisation or PTA, please visit: https://bit.ly/CreatingOpportunitiesSNI