Clubs secure more than £182,000 so far through emergency grants

More than £182,000 has so far been secured by England Boxing clubs who have applied for grants to help them through financial hardship caused by gym closures as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.

A number of clubs have found it difficult to make ends meet because of the lack of income from subs, membership fees, shows and other means, with no boxing taking place.

But with the help of information circulated by England Boxing – and support from regional Club Support Officers (CSOs) – several have already been successful in securing of emergency funding made available.

The first major source of assistance for clubs has been via grants from their relevant local authorities.

Applications are still being processed in a number of areas around England but, to date, boxing clubs have benefited from support by the following councils:

Redditch Borough Council  – £25,000; Telford and Wrekin Council – £10000; Hereford County Council – £25000; Wyre Forest District Council – £25,000; Durham County Council – £45,000; Gateshead Council – £20,000; Hartlepool Borough Council – £10,000; Northumberland County Council – £10,000.

Clubs who have not yet applied but are looking to apply for grants from local authorities must meet the criteria of having either:

• a rateable value of up to and including £15,000, in which case they can receive a grant of £10,000, in line with the eligibility criteria.
• A rateable value of over £15,000 and less than £51,000, in which case they can receive a grant of £25,000, in line with the eligibility criteria.

Clubs can search their rateable value here.

Another route that clubs can explore – if they are ineligible for other funding – is Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund.

Again, three north-East clubs have already been successful in securing a grant in this way, including Newbiggin, for whom Alex Brown (pictured) boxes.

That club has been handed £3,250, which is specifically to cover rent.

Two more unnamed clubs have also received Sport England funding to the tune of £5,000 and £3,928 respectively to help pay costs while they are closed.

Other clubs have also applied and expect to hear back from their applications soon.

Clubs who have not yet applied but are looking to apply for grants from Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund must meet the criteria of:

• Playing a role in providing sport at a grass roots level and experiencing short term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations due to the impact of COVID-19. Organisations can apply for grants between £300 and £10,000.
• Clubs who are facing ongoing costs around maintenance and utility bills.

For more comprehensive details of what is available to clubs, please visit the financial assistance page on the England Boxing website.

If you have further questions, or are not sure which is the best grant for your club to pursue, please contact your regional club support officer, which you can find here.