LCCC Sports Club Accelerator Fund 2023 

Contents
– Introduction
– Guidance notes: Who can apply - eligibility? 
– Programme criteria
– Application process

– Apply

Introduction

Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council has launched a small grants fund for constituted Sports Clubs and other voluntary groups, as a means to support an area of development within your club.  Projects must take place between September 2023 and March 2024.

Applications for funding, up to a maximum of £3,000, must demonstrate how the proposal responds to the key themes as outlined below in Programme Criteria.

The closing date for receipt of applications is 4.00pm on Friday 18th August 2023.

Applications will be assessed mid to late-August with the successful applicants notified towards the end of August.

Guidance notes:
Who can apply - eligibility?

The Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council fund is open to constituted Sports Clubs who are affiliated to their National Governing body as well their local Sports Advisory Body, Sport Lisburn & Castlereagh. Other voluntary organisations within a sporting context, who can demonstrate the appropriate governance and insurance may also be eligible. This grant is exclusively for clubs/groups based in the Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council area that meet the following criteria:

  • An open and accountable governing document (Constitution or Articles and Memorandum of Association, or applicable governing document) that has been properly adopted;
  • A bank account in the name of the organisation, which requires a minimum of two unrelated members to authorise withdrawals and an annual set of independently examined financial accounts, endorsed at an Annual General Meeting;
  • A Management Committee or Governing Board, elected by its membership at an Annual General Meeting, and elected office bearers;
  • Have appropriate Safeguarding Policies for protecting Children and Vulnerable adults, who are involved as part of the group’s programme;
  • Public Liability Insurance, to cover all risk associated with the activities of the organisation.

Programme criteria
What we will fund:

The fund has been developed to help Sporting Organisations. Your application must demonstrate how your project will have a direct impact in increasing participation in Sport & Physical Activity. Furthermore, we will look favourably upon projects which target under-represented groups and/or attempt to tackle health inequalities, as well as sports diversionary projects that counteract anti-social behaviour.

  • Sports Equipment (Not clothing merchandise or kits) up to a maximum of £1000 (Please note: sports equipment will only be funded if it can be evidenced to being a necessary element of the project delivery).
  • Marketing of club, up to a maximum of £1000
  • Facility Hire to deliver program up to a maximum of £1000.
  • Hire of coaches to deliver program @25ph maximum unless justification can be offered for a higher rate.
  • Club Development Officer Post which would see a minimum of 100 hours of coaching delivery in a school/club setting
  • Up-skilling of coaches/volunteers through Coach Education courses and workshops

What we will not fund:

  • Rent/Lease
  • Facility Hire (for existing training sessions)
  • Capital equipment or building repair works
  • Utilities - electric, heat, light, water
  • Governing body fees
  • Insurance (essential building/contents insurance, public liability, pro-rata)

Please note that only one application is permitted per club. Multiple applications relating to different sections of a club will NOT be considered.

How much we will fund:

The recommended minimum grant to apply for is £1000. But please note we will also consider funding applicants who need less than this amount to make their project happen. The maximum amount that any group will be awarded is £3000. Any funding granted is for costs incurred from 1st September 2023.

In the event of the funding call being oversubscribed, LCCC reserve the right to apply a reduction across all applications to bring the awards in line with the available budget.

Application process

All funding requests must be completed online using the ‘apply online’ button at the end of this page. The required supporting doc

umentation must be sent with the application (unless we have received it in the last 12 months and there has been no changes to it).

Before applying, please check that:

  • your organisation is eligible to apply;
  • your application meets the priorities of this fund;
  • you have completed every question on your Application Form;
  • you can provide all the information we ask for as part of the application process.

Once your application is received, we will:

·Perform an Eligibility Check on your application and then assess it against the key themes of the grant, as highlighted in the PROGRAMME CRITERIA section above;

  • Contact you with questions should we need to, so please keep a copy of your Application Form for your reference;
  • Not assess your application if it is incomplete.

If your application is successful, we will:

  • Send you a Conditional Offer and our Terms & Conditions of Grant by email for your organisation to sign and return to the council;
  • Clearly indicate the eligible expenditure for the funding offered.
  • Request the grant to be acknowledged through the inclusion of the official Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council’s logo on all related promotional material associated with the project and that an Elected Member and/or Council Officer from Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council, is invited to the event/activity to which the grant is awarded.
  • Submission of a completed Award Evaluation Form. Failure to complete and submit an Evaluation Form will exclude your club/group from being eligible to receive future funding.

Once we have received your signed Terms and Conditions we will:

Make payment to your group’s bank account, via the Bankers Automated Clearance System (BACS).

To make an application, please click on the 'Apply Online' button below:

Apply online