British Orienteering Homepage

Funding

British Orienteering Funding

Sport England Funding

Sport Scotland Funding

Welsh Sport Council Funding

Northern Ireland Sport Council Funding

Other Funding

Funding Dos and Don'ts

The information below is an overview of the main funding streams which are available within British Orienteering and those external that are specifically for sports organisations to access. The list is by no means exhaustive but intends to cover the main options for obtaining funding.

British Orienteering Funding

British Orienteering clubs and associations have two distinct funds available to them for the support of different areas of orienteering. The funds are listed below:

The ‘O’ Foundation (including Bertie and Elsie Ward Fund)- This is a registered charity overseen by trustees. The current Chair of trustees is Peter Christopher. In the short-term, the ' O' Foundation is under review and grants are only likely to be made in exceptional circumstances.

British Orienteering Development Fund- This fund was previously named the 'Multi Day Levy Fund'. The monies that make up this fund are from the levies paid to British Orienteering from Multi-Day events. The fund supports the sustained and overall development of orienteering. Funding award decisions are made by British Orienteering's Development Committee.

Affiliated clubs or associations are able to apply for these grants. Application forms can be found below or can be sent out by the National Office and must be accompanied by a copy of the budget for the project, copies of any other grant applications and copies of the club/association balance sheets. Applications are assessed twice throughout the year.

For more information, contact Laura Martin by emailing laura@britishorienteering.org.uk or telephone the National Office.

Sport England Funding

Information about funding from within Sport England and other sources can be found below:

It is also advisable to contact your local council to see what funding they have available locally.

Your Regional Development Officer, will also be able to offer advice on funding streams. For contact details please click here.

Sport Scotland Funding

Information about funding from within Sport Scotland and other sources can be found below:

The Scottish Orienteering Association's Development Officer, Hilary Quick will also be able to offer advice on funding streams. Hilary can be contacted via email.

Welsh Sport Council Funding

Information about funding from the Welsh Sport Council can be found here.

The Chair of the Welsh Orienteering Association, Helena Burrows will also be able to offer advice on funding streams. Helena can be contacted via email.

Northern Ireland Sport Council Funding

Information about funding from the Northern Ireland Sport Council and other sources can be found below:

The Northern Ireland Orienteering Association's Development Officer, Helen Baxter will also be able to offer advice on funding streams. Helen can be contacted via email.

Other Funding Streams

Sport Relief

A joint initiative between Comic Relief and BBC, the programme aims to support projects which use sport, activities and games to work with young people up to the age of 25 to tackle tensions and division within their local communities. They will fund voluntary organisations and self-help groups throughout parts of the UK. There are two stages to the application process.

Further information on Sports Relief is available.

SportsAid

Through the help of individual donors, corporate partners and other grant-giving trusts, SportsAid is able to work with the National Governing Bodies of Sport to identify young athletes and help them to achieve their sporting potential. The charity directly funds youngsters in British sport through initiatives including events, partnerships and the SportsAid Alumni scheme.

Further information can be found at www.sportsaid.org.uk

Skills Active

SkillsActive is the Sector Skills Council for sport and active leisure. It supports the development of skills within the sector and one of its key roles is to identify and communicate funding opportunities, and make quality, subsidised or fully funded training available to all those wishing to further themselves, their volunteering experience or their career aspirations within the sector.

Further information can be found at www.skillsactive.com

The Foundation for Sport and the Arts

The Foundation for Sport and the Arts was established in 1991. We channel money originally donated by The New Football Pools to a wide range of sporting and artistic causes.Since 1991 we have awarded grants worth over £350 million, nearly £500 million at today's values.

Further information can be found at www.thefsa.net

Cash for Clubs

Grants available for £250 - £1000. Further information at www.cash-4-clubs.com

Barclays Spaces for Sport

Barclays Spaces for Sports is a £30million programme to create sustainable sports facilities in disadvantaged communities across the UK. It is the country’s single biggest investment in grassroots sport by a private company and has won various prestigious awards for its contribution to local communities.

Further information on Barclays Spaces for Sport is available.

J4B Community

The most comprehensive Voluntary and Community Sector grants & funding database in the UK.

Further information on J4B Community is available.

Sporting Equals

Funding information to support sports and physical activity projects for black and minority ethnic communities

Latest Sporting Equals Newsletter

Funding Dos and Don'ts

To get you started, here is a list of Dos and Don’ts to consider when applying for small grants.

Do ensure you are applying for funding for items, activities or projects that are eligible for that grant, otherwise you may end up wasting your time
Do have a specific project in mind when applying for a grant
Do identify how you will generate income to continue the project once the initial funding has been used up
Do complete a draft copy first - an application form containing mistakes can be difficult to follow and may give a poor impression
Do submit the application in time to allow for queries to be resolved prior to any deadline

Don’t rule out smaller types of grants – a number of small contributions could enable you to complete your larger project
Don’t be unrealistic about the amount of money you are asking for
Don’t send your application off without double checking all areas are complete and that you have included all the relevant documentation, in the requested format
Don’t submit your application form without getting someone else to read it through first
Don’t forget to provide the name of a contact person who is knowledgeable about the project and application, and who can be contacted in normal office hours