Sport England is offering funding for projects which engage new volunteers aged 20 years and over in roles and activities that make a positive impact on them and their communities.
The Opportunity Fund represents the first stage of Sport England’s strategy to deliver exciting new volunteering and social action opportunities that will positively impact on people’s lives and their communities.
Grants of between £50,000 and £150,000 are available to a wide and diverse range of both sports organisations and non-sports organisations including charities, community interest companies (CICs), local authorities, universities and companies limited by guarantee.
The grants are available over three years to support projects which engage new volunteers aged 20 years and older in roles and activities that make a positive impact on them and their communities.
Examples of eligible costs include:
- Salaries for new or seconded project workers.
- Support for volunteer engagement.
- Volunteer out-of-pocket expenses.
- Support for local networking and partnership building.
- Minor equipment costs.
- Internal/external evaluation, including time allocated to working with the evaluators and for providing necessary information.
- Communicating and disseminating learning.
- Costs for recruitment events/activities.
- Volunteer training.
Sport England will only invest in projects that are able to demonstrate that they can benefit both individuals and the local community.
Eligible projects must contribute to improving:
- Mental wellbeing, and/or, individual development.
- Social and community development.
Sport England aims to award at least 50% of the funding available to organisations that are new to Sport England.
The deadline for expressions of interest (stage one) applications is 24 April 2017 (12 noon).
To find out more click here; https://www.sportengland.org/funding/funding-for-volunteering/opportunity-fund/
