CLUB FUNDING
Funding is available in some areas of the U.K. for new projects. This could be:
- Setting up a completely new community dodgeball club.
- Setting up a junior, or women’s section at an existing community club.
- Setting up a satellite club (a new session at a new venue ran by an existing club) in order to give more people the opportunity to play.
Outlined below are some of the funding pots which British Dodgeball may be able to help you access. To request bid-writing help from British Dodgeball, please email hello@britishdodgeball.com outlining details around your proposed new club and the work you have done so far (e.g. sourced a venue, found two more people willing to help run the club etc.).
Awards for all (All Regions):
The National Lottery Awards For All scheme offers between £300 and £10,000 of support to community groups who want to set up a club in order to ‘bring people together and build strong relationships in and across communities’ or ‘help more people to reach their potential, by supporting them at the earliest possible stage’. If this sounds like it links well with your proposed new club’s goals, then we can apply for funding for training new coaches, new equipment, venue hire for a certain number of months, leadership courses to raise self-esteem, competition entry and marketing.
Movement Fund (England-only):
The Movement Fund offers up to £15,000 for physical activity projects in the community. The focus is on people who face barriers to activity and projects designed to help them join in. Their priority is to support projects that match their goal of getting more people active, reducing the number of inactive people and tackling long-standing inequalities.
Be Active Wales Fund (Wales-only):
The Be Active Wales Fund is a grant supported by the National Lottery. It funds not-for-profit sports clubs and community groups across Wales. You can apply for grants from £300 to £50,000 to get more people taking part in sport. The fund may support such things as equipment to help more people take part in sport; Coaching courses (up to level 2) that upskill coaches and volunteers; entry-level training courses, such as First Aid or Officiating; and venue hire for new teams only (for a maximum of ten weeks).
Local Funding (All Regions):
Each county and city varies in what local pots of funding are available. There may be something relevant for your new club by searching locally which could cover some start-up costs. As each opportunity is individual, amounts and what can be funded varies and must be explore on a case-by-case basis.
Email hello@britishdodgeball.com if you would like more information on these funding pots, or have an exciting project idea and want to secure funding in order to help you develop dodgeball in your area!
Funding Examples
British Dodgeball has worked with a range of organisations to create and secure funding for worthwhile projects which develop the sport of dodgeball in addition to increasing participation in physical activity. Some examples of a range of projects are below:
Satellite Club Funding: Stafford Dodgeball Club
In 2020, Stafford Dodgeball Club received satellite club funding to support the set up of a women’s team. This covered marketing, new equipment costs, session costs, hall hire and coach education costs. The club has a women’s section and is working to recruit even more local women and girls to Come Join In as part of their Dodgemark accreditation goals.
Small Grants Funding: Norwich Nighthawks Dodgeball Club
Norwich Nighthawks approached us with the goal of setting up a new junior section, to make sure their club would always have young players moving through their pathway. In 2020, we secured funding to train 3 new coaches, send a coach into schools to provide taster sessions and to run the sessions at no cost for 20 weeks, meaning the club could save session subs in order to become more sustainable.
Sport Wales Community Chest: Rhondda Dragons Dodgeball Club
In order to set up a junior sections, Rhondda Dragons secured Sport Wales Community Chest funding in 2022 which paid for club promotion, hall hire for the initial months, coach education and equipment. This meant the club could launch in a sustainable way.
British Dodgeball Come Join In Funding Award: Kelvin Rapids
A group based in Glasgow wanted to set up a new dodgeball club in the area and offer sessions to the community in 2021. As part of our Come Join Funding initiative, we funded coach education, venue hire for the first few weeks of play and free club membership in order to help the club get off the ground.
Local Funding: Eden Dodgeball (Eden District Council Sports Development Grant)
In some areas, local funding streams are available to support your club. Eden Dodgeball worked with British Dodgeball to gain a small grant which paid for equipment and taster sessions to be delivered in local primary schools with the aim of raising awareness about the club. As a result, Eden Dodgeball’s participation numbers have grown from 8-12 members to over 50.
