Cash4Clubs ‘Clubs in Crisis’ fund distributes more than £3.75m in 2021 to UK Sports Clubs most in need

LONDON, December 22 2021 – The ‘Clubs in Crisis’ fund, a partnership between Made By Sport and Cash4Clubs, which has been funded by Flutter Entertainment with an investment of over £4m, has already distributed £3.75m to community sports clubs across the UK since it was launched earlier this year.

The ‘Clubs in Crisis’ fund has granted awards to nearly 1500 clubs totalling more than £3.75million.

Approximately 39% of grants made have been provided to clubs whose primary social outcomes are developing life and employability skills, with 36% distributed to those focused on building stronger communities, including tackling crime and anti-social behaviour. The remaining 25% of grants were given to clubs focused on improving mental health.

Peter Jackson, CEO of Flutter said: "I am incredibly proud of the Cash4Clubs initiative which has made such a tangible difference to communities across the UK over the past year. The Covid-19 pandemic has been challenging for us all but this campaign has further established Flutter as a key supporter of grassroots sports, committed to real social change through sport. I would like to thank Made By Sport and the UK Community Foundations (UKCF) for their fantastic work running the scheme and supporting the clubs and young people who needed their help at a time of national crisis."

Launched in April 2021, the Clubs in Crisis fund has been wholly funded by a £4.79 million donation by Flutter through its Cash4Clubs programme and is administered by Made By Sport in partnership with UKCF.

By focusing on supporting clubs that use sport for social outcomes, rather than sporting excellence, the fund is the first of its kind on a national scale. Through its partnership with UKCF as a grant distributor, the Clubs in Crisis fund has represented a new approach that has created networks and gained fresh perspectives into supporting what has been a traditionally hard to reach sector.

Justin King, Chairman of Made By Sport added: "To see how many thousands of young people have benefited from the Clubs in Crisis campaign is a source of great pride for all of us at Made By Sport.

We set out to use sport to make a real difference to the lives of young people and while no one could have foreseen the incredible challenges the pandemic would cause, this campaign has had a transformative impact on society and given hope and support to those young people who needed it most."

Flutter Entertainment has 349 Paddy Power shops across the UK, which have been closed for large periods of the last 18 months due to lockdowns. The £4.79 million donation represents the full amount of business rates relief it has benefitted from between March 2020 and March 2021.

For further information, please contact: communications@flutter.com

Made By Sport

Made By Sport is a charity which raises awareness and funding for grassroots sports clubs and organisations that work with young people across the UK. The charity was launched in 2019 with the aim of championing the power of sport to tackle social issues such as building stronger communities, youth employment, crime and anti-social behaviour reduction, mental health awareness and developing life skills.

Visit www.madebysport.com to find out more.