Sport NI increases Sports Hardship Fund by £495,000 to meet demand from existing applicants
- Published
Sports clubs across Northern Ireland have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic
Sport NI has invested a further £495,000 into the Sports Hardship Fund to meet the demand from existing applicant sports clubs facing hardship as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
As of Friday 5 June £566,000 had been paid to 283 sports clubs and organisations so far from over 30 different sporting activities.
A total of 402 applications for hardship assistance were received.
Applications had to be suspended at one stage after being over-subscribed.
The initial fund of £500,000 was increased to £750,000 because of the high demand from clubs suffering financial problems because of the coronavirus crisis.
A £2000 grant was made available to successful applicants to assist with essential overheads and the costs of maintaining their facilities during the Covid-19 lockdown period.
A total of £1,245,000 has now been invested into the scheme by the NI Executive's Department for Communities and Sport NI.
The Department of Communities-backed fund is being managed by Sport NI.
"This will meet the immediate hardship needs of a wide range of sports clubs over all District Council areas who have already applied, as they support our communities, during Covid-19, and as we emerge stronger together," read a statement released by Sport NI.
