SPORTS clubs, charities, voluntary organisations and PTAs are set to benefit from a funding boost thanks to Sport NI’s latest crowdfunding partnership programme- Creating Opportunities.
Local communities across Northern Ireland can benefit from a share of £1.6 million of National Lottery funding over the next three years by raising money for their local clubs through the crowdfunding programme.
Accessibility and inclusion are at the heart of Creating Opportunities, which will support clubs and other organisations to set up new initiatives to remove the barriers preventing people from participating in sport and playing an active role in their club.
The project will support local sports clubs, charities, voluntary organisations and PTAs to raise funds for their particular sporting participation initiative by setting-up their own crowdfunding campaigns.
Sport NI will match-fund the projects by pledging up to 50% of an organisation’s Crowdfunder campaign total to a maximum of £5,000.
To run an effective crowdfunder campaign, eligible participants will need to reach out to their local community and wider network to meet their fundraising target.
Richard Archibald, Sport NI Interim CEO, said: “It has been an inspirational summer of sport thanks to the 2024 Olympics in Paris and the phenomenal success of our local athletes. We know that many people across Northern Ireland are feeling inspired and motivated to participate in sport, whether that be our next generation of Olympians, those trying a sport for the first time, or those eager to take the first step back into sport and physical activity.
“Our Creating Opportunities programme is focused on levelling the playing field and providing opportunities for more people, of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds to participate in sport. We will be investing £500,000 a year in sporting participation projects within clubs, charities, voluntary organisations, and PTAs.
“Sport is at the heart of our local communities and has the power to bring people together. Creating Opportunities is a chance for communities to support their local clubs and other organisations and thanks to The National Lottery, we can offer match funding of up to £5,000 depending on how much a local community gets behind their project.”
Creating Opportunities follows the successful Project Reboot: Activate programme where 146 organisations raised an incredible total of £1.6 million thanks to 10,000 donors and £645k in match-funding from Sport NI.
Limavady Youths FC (above) participated in Sport NI’s last crowdfunding programme to set up a new girls’ section of their club.
The club raised £5,000 with an additional £5,000 of Sport NI match-funding through Project Reboot: Activate. The club used the funding to amalgamate with Roe Valley Ladies to expand the offering of girl’s football in the local area which now sees hundreds of girls take part in training every week.
Limavady Youth were blown away by the generosity of their local community and how their crowdfunding campaign also helped raise the profile of the club.
Timothy Dixon, Limavady Youth Chairman said: “We first saw the crowdfunding campaign called Activate on the Sport NI website. It was very simple for us to use.
“We had a mini soccer for girls but then had to send them onto other clubs as we didn’t have the equipment and facilities. Now we have a girls’ team and it’s the way forward because girl’s football has taken off and we are glad to be part of that.
“The money raised covered the additional costs of kits, equipment, facility hire and coaching courses. We now have a ready-made setup for girl’s football in the area and we hope it continues to expand.
“Taking part in the crowdfunding raised the profile of the club in the area as even when it finished, we had businesses in the town wanting to get involved so we now have additional sponsors which is vital for the club.”
Sport NI’s Creating Opportunities investment programme is made possible thanks to National Lottery players who raise more than £30m for good causes each week.
To find out more about how you could raise vital funds as a club, charity, voluntary organisation or PTA, visit: https://bit.ly/CreatingOpportunitiesSNI
