Organisations across Hampshire are working hard to ensure clubs and facilities are ready for when grassroots football returns. 

Over 100 funding applications have been submitted by clubs, local authorities and facility operators to either the Sport England Community Emergency Fund or the Football Foundation Pitch Preparation. 

Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund 

So far £100k+ has been allocated to 30 successful applicants from Sport England’s Community Emergency Fund which offers grants of £300 - £10,000 to community organisations that have a role in supporting the nation to be active but who are experiencing short term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations due to the ongoing crisis. The fund is temporarily paused to new applications currently whilst assessors review existing submissions but, will re-open soon following a £15million boost to the original £20million pot from The National Lottery. 

Football Foundation’s Pitch Preparation Fund

The Football Foundation’s Pitch Preparation Fund is a £10million pot aimed at helping grassroots football clubs and organisations get their natural and artificial grass pitches ready for when the government advice allows football to start being played again. So far 71 Hampshire based organisations have applied to the fund which offers grants of up to £5k. The deadline for applications is the 25th May at 9pm after which The Football Foundation will assess all of the submissions and contact all applicants with the outcome of their application between 1st and 8th June 2020.

Due to these funds and the hard work of those submitting applications a significant level of investment into local grassroots football has already been secured and as applications are processed this will investment increase further. 

Hampshire FA would like to express our thanks to all the volunteer and professional workforce who continue to service football during this difficult time through funding applications and facility maintenance work and also to Sport England, the Football Foundation and their funders for making this investment possible.