Mayor calls on sports clubs to apply for funding to improve facilities

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson is calling on sports clubs around the capital to apply for funding from his Sports Facilities Fund, part of his Sports Legacy Programme, which aims to boost opportunities for Londoners to participate in sporting activity.

Already, over £16 million has been invested from the programme and 250,000 Londoners have benefited from that investment. The Mayor has committed to invest a further £6 million into grassroots sport over the coming two years which, in addition to investing in more facilities, will add to the 13,000 coaches and officials already trained and to the 35 sports projects already funded across London which is getting more Londoners active. 25,000 disabled Londoners have also been helped to get active as a result of more than 100 clubs signing up for Inclusive and Active 2, a commitment get more disabled Londoners involved in sport.

The sports facilities fund has increased capacity around the capital, benefiting over 54,000 additional Londoners per week, more than 12 per cent of whom were previously inactive. Facilities funded range from multi-use games areas, tennis court floodlights, changing rooms, 3G football pitches and multi-sport complexes. Activities that have benefited include BMX, badminton, martial arts, sailing and disability sports. T

he Mayor will today officially open Streatham-Croydon Rugby Football Club's new spectator stand and changing rooms. It is one of 77 projects funded of the Sports Facilities Fund, which has already invested £5.5 million in local sports clubs so that they can build new, or refurbish, existing facilities. Streatham-Croydon RFC's previous changing rooms, which once welcomed teams such as Saracens and the Wasps, were in urgent need of redevelopment. Thanks to a £70,000 grant from the Sports Facilities Fund, plus additional funding coming from SITA trust, Sport England, the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and The London Marathon Trust, it now boasts new state-of-the-art changing facilities, including additional showers, dedicated referee changing rooms, a gym, physiotherapy rooms and storage areas. The spectator stand has also been transformed and now provides smart club-coloured seats for 140 people. The new facilities will enable more sport to be played not only by the club, but local schools and community groups, and help fulfil its ambitions to be at the heart of local participation.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: 'We are committed to delivering a sporting legacy from the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. These new facilities at the Streatham-Croydon RFC ground are exactly what my sports facilities fund is about – providing good quality sports facilities for the London community. We want to help other clubs to improve their facilities, so even more Londoners get the chance to get active and participate in sport and I am urging groups to come forward and take advantage of this fantastic funding opportunity.'

Kate Hoey MP, the Mayor of London's Commissioner for Sport, said: 'The new facilities at Streatham-Croydon RFC are an excellent example of the kind of projects we have supported right across London. The Mayor's Sports Facilities Fund is making a tangible difference towards improving grassroots sports provision and I would like to thank and congratulate everyone involved in the project to date.'

Funding is now available for not-for-profit organisations, such as schools, local sports clubs, charities and councils, to deliver facility projects in London. Applications can be made for up to £100,000 to cover up to a maximum of 60 per cent of the total project cost. Expressions of interest for the second round of funding need to be made by 4 October 2013. Organisations can find out more about the Mayor of London's Sports Facilities Fund and apply online via the Football Foundation website: www.footballfoundation.org.uk/apply/mayor-of-london-sports-facilities-fund.