Made by Sport will manage the distribution of funds to clubs in the finance sector that have been adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The donation of £4.8m by Flutter, which is the amount it received in business rates relief for its shops in England from March 2020 to March 2021, will aid these struggling clubs. Flutter’s Cash4Clubs initiative, launched in 2008, has provided nearly £800,000 to clubs over the past 12 years, including £165,000 in grants in 2020. This initiative aims to address the long-standing issue of insufficient funding for community clubs. Flutter group chief executive Peter Jackson expressed the urgency of the current situation, stating, “Now, more than ever, help is needed. By collaborating with Made by Sport to establish a ‘Clubs In Crisis’ fund, we can directly contribute to the communities that require this funding the most.”
Made by Sport chairman Justin King emphasized the critical situation faced by community sports, with a quarter of all sports clubs in the UK at risk of permanent closure. The pandemic has exacerbated social issues, making the role of grassroots sports in addressing these challenges even more vital. The ‘Clubs In Crisis’ fund will specifically support the smallest and hardest-hit clubs, providing them with the opportunity to continue their valuable work in tackling social inequalities within our communities.
Last week, the Betting and Gaming Council appealed to Chancellor Rishi Sunak to extend business rates relief for another year. This extension is crucial to support betting shops and casinos, which have been forced to close for a substantial portion of the pandemic. Initially, retail, leisure, and hospitality businesses were exempt from paying business rates for 12 months through this relief measure introduced in March last year. While initially not applicable to the gambling industry, it was eventually extended to include the sector.
