Sport gets initial £25k bailout
ISLAND sport will receive £25,000 from the Social Investment Fund Covid 19 Community Charity Appeal as a first phase of establishing a sport recovery fund.
The award will be specifically used to support any immediate financial impact on member sports as a result of the three-month lockdown.
The fund will be used to offer grants to member sports and clubs so that they can mitigate their losses, prepare themselves to welcome back their members, operate safely and within any necessary guidelines, safeguard the future of their organisation and begin to re-build.
It is hoped the fund will grow as the overall impact on local sporting organisations becomes clear.
The Guernsey Sports Commission, which applied for the funding, will be ‘working with all clubs and organisations over the next 12 months to ascertain whether the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has had a more long-term effect on their ability to operate,’ said the commission’s relationship director, Steve Sharman.
Another who is pleased with the outcome, is commissioner and president of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, Deputy Matt Fallaize.
‘This new investment in sport is timely,’ he said.
‘In some cases, it will help keep clubs and sports alive as they recover from lockdown.
‘It is a great example of partnership working between third sector bodies supported by government. Sport and physical activity should be at the centre of the island’s plans to recover and thrive and they will be if the States back our Plan for Sport when it is debated later this summer.’
Sharman, who this week announced a new arrangement that keeps the Northern Bowling Association alive, added: ‘As we emerge from lockdown, the commission believes there is going to be an increasing need for these organisations to be around to help our community get back on its feet physically, mentally and socially’.
‘We believe that if we can act now and support our member sports and clubs, both financially and practically, we can continue to build a strong and high performing sector, hold it to account and support its continued development to the benefit of the wider Guernsey community.’
Graham Chester, operations director at the commission, said it was ‘a great opportunity for the Guernsey Sports Commission to build on its work with the community and gives renewed drive to push forward with the eight key workstreams outlined in our 5-Year Action Plan’.
‘One of our main workstreams is inclusion – ensuring that sports are increasingly able to identify and overcome barriers to participation and competition. We know that sport and physical activity can support the mental health and wellbeing of our community and this particular workstream is ideally placed to deliver some real results,’ said Chester.
‘We are also keen to explore any additional opportunities outside of the scope of our action plan, including sports tourism or hosting sporting events which could also help boost the island’s profile and contribute to our recovery in the longer term.’
