THE BARCLAYS COMMUNITY SPORT FUND
Grants of up to £1,000 are available to UK not-for-profit organisations to make football, cricket and tennis more accessible to women and girls, people with a disability, people from racially diverse communities, the LGBTQi+ community and people from lower socio-economic groups.
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o Application deadline: SUNDAY 22nd JUNE 2025 (the fund reopened on Tuesday 22nd April 2025 and may close early if it becomes over-subscribed). Early application is therefore advised.
o Funder: Barclays Bank and the Sported Foundation (The Sported Foundation: founded 2008. Charity number 1123313. Total charitable expenditure for the year ended 31 March 2024: £4,143,131 (2023: £4,105,086 (2022: £2,480,000)).
o Who can apply: not-for-profit organisations including community groups, youth groups and traditional sports clubs across the United Kingdom. Only one application may be made per club. Please note that schools and other educational establishments are not eligible to apply to the Fund.
o Key words: Football, Cricket, Tennis, Girls, Women, People with a Disability, People from Racially Diverse Communities, People from the LGBTQ+ Community, People from Lower Socio-Economic Groups, Equipment, Kit, Coaching, Training, United Kingdom.
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The Sported Foundation (Sported UK) has partnered with Barclays to provide another round of the Barclay Community Sport Fund (previously the Barclays Community Football Fund), offering small grants to not-for-profit groups in the UK that are active areas of high deprivation to make football, cricket and or tennis more accessible to women and girls. The programme will run in 2025, 2026 and 2027 with an annual budget of £1.4 million.
The Barclays Community Sport Fund aims to help reduce inequalities in football by supporting community sports groups who need it most. The programme focuses on groups operating in areas of high deprivation by supporting young people from the following underrepresented sectors. Please note that applicants must operate in an area of high deprivation as defines in the Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Only organisations located in or supporting people from IMD areas 1-3 are eligible to apply, although there is some flexibility where this applies to organisations working with people with a disability.
o Girls (Sported is especially keen to support girls football teams).
o Women.
o People from racially diverse communities.
o People from the LGBTQ+ community.
o People from lower socio-economic groups, and
o People with a disability.
Groups can apply for:
o An unrestricted grant of £1,000 grant to help sustain and increase access to football, tennis, and cricket for women and girls (as well as engage people from other underrepresented groups, such as people with disabilities, those from racially diverse communities and those from the LGBTQ+ community), and
o Funding for football, tennis, and cricket coaching courses to help increase the number of female coaches delivering sport to girls.
If successful for funding, your group will also be able to access:
o Exclusive match tickets, mascot places, and promotional opportunities, and
o Advice and support and signposting to training and resources.
Examples of how grants can be used include (please note that this is not an exclusive list):
o Coaching.
o Equipment and kit.
o Hiring venues.
o Insurances and membership fees.
o Training and qualifications, and
o Volunteer expenses.
Funding is not available for:
o Costs associated with elite football or talent development.
o Schools and other educational institutions. Charities that support schools may be considered if they are inclusive of young people from the wider community and not just pupils from that school.
o School curriculum-based activities.
o Talent development, or
o Trips abroad.
Further information, guidance, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and details about how to apply is available on the Sported Foundation’s website. New applicants to the Fund will be required to register before they can access the application form.
The fund opened on Tuesday 22nd April and has a deadline for applications of Sunday 22nd June 2025, although it may close earlier if it becomes over-subscribed. Early application is therefore advised.
Successful applicants are expected to be notified in August 2025.
Contact details for the Fund are:
Barclays Community Sport Fund
The Sported Foundation
House of Sport (4th Floor)
190 Great Dover Street
London
SE1 4YB
Tel: 0203 848 4670
Email: barclays@sported.org.uk