10 June 2019
Sport England Launches Workforce Diversity Great Ideas Fund
Funding to diversify sport and physical activity coaches and volunteers within local communities across England.
The new £1 million Workforce Diversity Great Ideas Fund has been launched by Sport England with National Lottery funding.
The funding is intended for proposals that support more women and/or BAME people into the sport and physical activity coaching and volunteering workforce, and to help ensure they have a really positive experience.
Sport England is seeking potentially game-changing ideas which will help increase the diversity of those who give their time to sport, whilst empowering and upskilling local communities. The fund is not about investing in more of the same things which are known to work.
Applications will be accepted from a range of not-for-profit organisations based and working in England. It is not essential for applicants to have experience of the sport sector. Applicants may have access to the target audiences and want to work in partnership with an organisation who can support with the provision of sports volunteering opportunities.
It is key, however, that groups have a good understanding of the needs of the people in their area that they are trying to connect with and that the applicant, or their partners, are trusted and respected by the people they want to reach.
Projects need to deliver at least one of the following five outcomes:
- Mental wellbeing.
- Physical wellbeing.
- Individual development.
- Social and community cohesion.
- Economic development.
The minimum and maximum grant have not been set. Sport England explains: ‘Great ideas come in all shapes and sizes – there’s no magic formula and therefore we have no expectation of how long the project should be, or how much it will cost.’
The deadline for initial applications is 3 July 2019.