Applying for Funding - a practical ‘how to’ guide for boxing clubs

Introduction This guide will help clubs navigate their way through the sometimes confusing world of funding. It gives very specific information to help clubs make a strong, evidence-based case for funding. Clubs will find practical guidance on:

What they need to have in place before applying How to make a strong case for funding, including evidence of need where clubs

will be helped to make the: o sporting case o community case o boxing case

Top tips to strengthen applications A jargon buster to demystify the sometimes confusing terms used by funders A template role description to support the recruitment of a club Funding Co-

ordinator When a club is able to make their own applications they are in a stronger position to take advantage of the many opportunities for funding, reducing the need to reach into their own pockets. It is hoped this guide will help clubs to bring significant amounts of additional funding into boxing, extending the reach of our sport further into communities.

Good luck with your applications!

Action! Identify somebody within your club – it could be a committee member, a parent, or

even a boxer – that will be able to use this guide and get started with your applications!

Before applying clubs will need to have in place… Funders want to know that any club they fund is well run and there are standards that most funders will expect clubs to meet, the most common are: A constitution: the club’s governing document, it is a basic set of rules for the daily

running of the club that details for members and others the: name; methods of management and other conditions under which the club operates, and the reasons for its existence. Most funders require that the constitution states that the club does not discriminate and is open and welcoming to all members of the community

A bank account with 2 signatories Copies of annual accounts (audited accounts may be requested) Recent bank statements (generally 3 months) Relevant club policies, particularly child welfare and equity Clubs will need to have a clear plan for how the funding will be used (‘the project’) highlighting:

Why it is needed i.e. current club situation and needs, priorities for boxing,

needs of the local community (with evidence) Who it is for and who will deliver it (including partners) How the funding will be used, how the project will be delivered, how much

funding is needed in total, and how much funding is being requested What outcomes will be delivered (tailored to the funder’s priorities) When the project will start and finish Where activities will take place

Clubs should also have a good understanding of their membership for example:

number of members weekly footfall / usage breakdown of membership by age, gender, ethnicity and disability

Top Tip ABAE Clubmark can help your club to get the correct things in place; it formally

recognises clubs that meet criteria which demonstrate that they are safe, effective and child-friendly. It can also add weight to funding bids

Making the Case for Funding Providing evidence of need for a project can make the difference between success and failure. This section will help clubs to do this and to demonstrate the potential impact that their project will have. Generally, the more money that is applied for the more evidence is needed. NOTE: clubs do not have to use all of the evidence suggested but should focus on what will strengthen their application based on the funder’s aims, objectives and priorities.

Making the Sporting Case Sport England’s priority is to get more people to be more active, and to sustain

participation in sport Clubs should highlight how their project will contribute to this i.e. how additional

equipment and/or coaches could allow the club to run an extra session leading to more activity for existing members and/or bringing in new members

Top Tip When applying to Sport England use these terms:

We will increase participation by… i.e. new sessions, targeting new audiences Member retention will be enhanced by… i.e. offering a high quality experience

due to better equipment and/or more highly qualified coaches Club sustainability will be enhanced by… i.e. having more members, maximizing

use of club facilities

How your project contributes to the ABAE’s priorities The ABAE is funded by Sport England from 2013 to 2017 to:

o Increase participation of 14-25 year olds at least once per week for 30+ minutes (1x30) by 70,000

o Increase participation of people aged 26+ (1x30) by 100,400 o Help clubs to become more sustainable

Clubs can strengthen an application by using this information and stating that their

project will contribute to achieving these goals

Top Tip If your club wants to attract more members but does not have the capacity – i.e. not

enough space, not enough free gym time or not enough coaches - a waiting list can be a good way to demonstrate that there is demand from people that want to join

Providing evidence

Active People Survey Sport England measure participation in sport every 6 months via the Active People

Survey (APS) which measures how many people take part in each of the 49 funded sports at least once per week for at least 30 minutes

How to use APS Data APS data can be used to show sports participation by region, county or local

authority Link: http://www.sportengland.org/research/who-plays-sport/local- picture/who-

plays-sport-in-local-communities/

Top Tip Use APS to compare local and national participation rates to see if your area’s rates

are low and need to be increased

Market Segmentation

Sport England has developed 19 sporting segments to help understand the nation's attitudes to sport, motivations and barriers; the 19 segment profiles also give ideas on how to attract each segment to sport

The market segments that would like to take part in boxing (for competition and/or fitness) and which are the ABAE’s priorities are:

o Jamie (Sport Team Lads) o Ben (Competitive Male Urbanites) o Kev (Pub League Team Mates) o Tim (Professional Sporty Settling Down Males) o Leanne (Supportive Singles)

Top Tip The ABAE has priority areas based on where there are a high number of these

market segments; contact your ABAE Club Support Officer to find out if your club is in one of these areas

How to Use Market Segmentation Data Clubs can use this information to show they understand the motivations and

barriers of their targeted segments and can tailor their activities accordingly i.e. time and location of sessions

Clubs can use the ‘How to reach…’ section of the profiles for ideas on recruiting new participants

It can be used to illustrate the number of people from the relevant segments (shown above) that would like to box in local authority and county areas

Link: http://segments.sportengland.org/index.aspx (select ‘Sports’ from the menu to search for segments in your area)

Top Tip Use Market Segmentation data when applying for any funding from Sport England

Local sports strategies

Clubs can find out if their local authority has a strategy for sport, and if so can use it to highlight local outcomes that the club’s activities will contribute to achieving

Top Tip Contact your local authority’s sports development section and your County Sports

Partnership to find details of local sports strategies

Making the Community Case Funders have various objectives / priorities and clubs should show clearly how their project meets them. Many funders will not be interested in how many champions a club has had and are more likely to want to know how the club contributes to its community. Boxing clubs play a significant role in communities and can have an impact on:

o Crime and anti-social behavior o Social disadvantage and deprivation o Healthy lifestyles (including obesity and healthy eating) o Educational attainment and attendance

Many boxing clubs are in high deprivation areas that are often a priority for funders

Providing evidence

Local Sport Profile Tool This Sport England tool is excellent for helping clubs to find local data to support

applications, including: o Demographics (i.e. population figures by gender, age, ethnicity, disability) o Levels of deprivation o Unemployment rates o Health statistics (i.e. obesity, life expectancy) o Sports participation data o Market segmentation

Link: http://www.sportengland.org/our-work/local-work/local-government/local-

sport-profile/

Top Tip Most funders have priorities related to at least one and often more of these

categories; this tool can really help your club to supply strong evidence that proves why your project is needed

Crime and Anti-Social Behaviour Statistics Boxing has a long history of diverting people from crime and anti-social behavior by

providing a healthy, constructive alternative

Clubs can use local crime statistics and explain how they help to tackle these problems. Detailed figures are available that can be broken down as far as street level information that can be compared with national rates to show if the club is in an area of high crime

Link: http://www.ukcrimestats.com/ Link: http://www.police.uk

(click on ‘Find Your Neighbourhood’, enter your postcode, go to ‘Explore the crime map’, select ‘View detailed statistics’ from ‘Next steps’ section at right of page for local statistics and comparison with similar areas)

Top Tip A case study can add weight to an application by adding a human, ‘feel-good’

factor. Telling the story of how a member of your club has turned their life around through boxing shows the influence and impact that your club has

Economic Impact of Sport for Development Research by Sported (see ‘Sources of Funding’ section) evaluated 3,888

projects that used sport to address social issues to provide evidence of the impact that sport can have on key social policy areas. Results of the Sportworks research, showing cost savings per year per participant, are below

Policy Area Cost Saving Policy Area Cost Saving

Crime & ASB1

£724.89 Substance Misuse £2,265.60

Educational Attainment

£127.50 Fitness & Obesity £197.65

Educational Attendance

£180.40 NEET2 £247.90

For full and summary reports: http://www.sported.org.uk/sportworks

Top Tip Do the activities of your club impact on any of these policy areas? You could develop a project to extend these activities, using the Sportworks research to

support your funding applications

1 Anti-Social Behaviour 2 Not in Education, Employment or Training

Making the Boxing Case

Boxing offers huge benefits to individuals and communities that can be very attractive to funders. Here are some examples to ‘sell’ boxing to funders and potential partners, and to counter any opposition that may be encountered

Once per week participation in boxing has grown by 31% from 106,800 in 2008 to 140,400 in 2012, making boxing one of only five of the 49 sports funded by Sport England to deliver an increase over this period (APS)

Amateur / Olympic boxing has higher than average satisfaction ratings amongst participants (83.6% against 80.3%) and over 100,000 people said boxing is the one sport they would like to do more (APS)

Amateur / Olympic boxing is safe, mountaineering, gliding, motorsports, American football and rugby are some of the sports that carry a greater risk of serious injury

An independent review of 36 research studies in the British Medical Journal in 2007 found ‘no strong evidence to associate chronic traumatic brain injury with amateur boxing’

Amateur/Olympic boxing is far more tightly regulated and pays more attention to safety than many sports; ABAE guidelines state all boxers must have a medical examination prior to registering to compete, must pass a medical on the day of competition, and all competitions must have a trained medic and a Doctor present

Boxing clubs are community assets providing an environment where youngsters feel a sense of belonging and are valued members of a team

Boxing teaches the importance of rules and the need to follow them to achieve success

Boxing helps children and young people learn how to channel energy and aggression into a positive sporting pursuit where discipline and focus are essential

Boxing educates people in healthy lifestyles by encouraging healthy eating, weight management, good hydration, and discouraging bad habits like drinking, smoking and drug-taking

Boxing-related fitness training is very popular and was the 7th most popular of 49 available sports in Sportivate, Sport England’s London 2012 Legacy Project for 14-25 year olds

Boxing has helped countless people involved, or at risk of becoming involved, in crime and anti-social behaviour to turn their lives around. Clubs have positive role models that are visible examples of how to be a positive member of the community, resist peer pressure, and avoid harmful activities

Boxing instills discipline, commitment, and respect for self and others; without them success will not be found in the ring or in life

Boxing demands that the boxer is absolutely in control of him/herself at all times, both mentally and physically

Boxing helps people develop new skills and abilities, bringing self-confidence and self-worth

Boxing is one of the most physically demanding of sports, bringing enormous fitness and health benefits such as increasing strength, developing anaerobic endurance, and improving cardiovascular function, and decreasing the risk of obesity and other life-limiting conditions (physical activity reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by more than 50%)

Due to the fitness demands of the sport boxers often train at least 3 times per week, and often more

Boxing clubs welcome people from a wide range of nationalities and cultures, promoting community cohesion

Boxing relies on countless hours of voluntary commitment from coaches and club officials who are enormous assets to their communities; clubs offer opportunities for people to give something back to their sport and their community. The economic value of sports volunteering in England is estimated at just under £2 billion a year – this is what it would cost to employ full time workers to carry out the work of sports volunteers, based on the median hourly wage (Sport & Recreation Alliance)

Top Tip Use examples from your own club that highlight the

positive influence that boxing has had on your members and your community

Further Ways to Strengthen Your Case

Canvassing Opinion and Gathering Support Demonstrating support in the community for the club and the project adds a

lot of weight to an application, and it is very important when applying for larger funds such as Sport England’s Inspired Facilities. Ways to canvass opinion and gather support include:

o Community consultation forums (could be linked to club open days) o Questionnaires to local residents o Online questionnaires / surveys o Consultation with club members and parents o A simple form for people to sign to indicate their support o Setting up a Facebook page and inviting people to

‘like’, ‘comment’ and share i.e. ‘Anytown ABC New Gym Supporters’ Page’

Building Partnerships Working in partnership with partners demonstrates added value to funders. It

increases the prospects of the project being sustainable beyond the period of funding and shows that the club has a developmental, forward-thinking outlook. Partners may also contribute to the club’s project, either financially or in-kind

Other potential benefits of partnership working include: o Pooling of resources o Reaching a new audience of potential members o Increased influence / lobbying via a ‘joint voice’ o Other opportunities can be created and accessed via new networks and

‘opening doors’

Potential partners that clubs may wish to work with, depending upon the nature of their project and activities, include:

Partners Police Local authority County Sports

Partnership (CSP

Schools Colleges & Universities (FE & HE)

Local Community Groups

Residents’ & Housing Associations

Fire service Charities

Local health trusts

Other sports clubs Local businesses

Top Tip Letters of support from partners and members of your community can add

considerable strength to your application and are essential for larger funding bids

Fundraising It can be easier to access funding when the club is able to commit funds of its

own to the project, particularly with larger funding applications. This shows that the club generates its own revenue and is not overly-dependent on grants and funding. This can give funders confidence that the club is sustainable and will continue to exist in the future, and that their funding will have a long-term impact

Boxing clubs typically use club shows to raise funds; here are other ideas for fundraising:

Fundraising Quiz night

Casino night

Corporate days

Racing night

Classic fight screening nights

Beer festival (involve CAMRA)

Stars in Your Eyes

Awards ceremony

Mothers’ / Fathers’ Day event

Supermarket bag-packing

Memorabilia auction

Celebrity sports dinner

Talent or fashion show

Car boot sale Monthly lottery

Install vending / drinks machines

Raffle Flashmob

Sponsored events i.e. local 10k races, Movember, a toddle (where there are a number of members with toddlers) or a

Boxathon

Top Tip Having a dedicated club Fundraising Officer and/or Fundraising Committee can really help you to focus on and drive this vital area; perhaps a parent or group of

parents could get involved?

Funding for Running Costs Most funders will not contribute towards running costs as

they are considered to be the club’s responsibility. If a club has difficulty covering running costs and is reliant on grants it is at risk of closure and should consider:

o Growing income: are there ways to grow regular income i.e. running additional sessions?

o Reducing expenditure / costs: can costs be reduced i.e. switching energy supplier?

o Fundraising: are there any regular fundraising activities that can be undertaken?

Top Tip Forecast what your costs for the season are likely to be and apply for funding for the eligible items, such as equipment and coaching qualifications, to allow more of your

regular income to be used to cover running costs

Sources of Funding There are many sources of funding each with different criteria, priorities and deadlines. Knowing where to start searching can be daunting so a good first step is to sign up to funding websites or newsletters.

www.funding4sport.co.uk www.fundingcentral.org.uk

Sport England Funding Programmes Sport England has a number of funds that are accessed via online applications, including: Small Grants: uses Lottery funding to make awards of between

£300 and £10,000 to help more people play sport Inspired Facilities: funds the renovation and modernisation of

local sports facilities and makes awards of up to £50,000 Inclusive Sport: aims to increase the number of disabled young

people (14+) and adults regularly playing sport http://www.sportengland.org/funding/our-different-funds/

Top Tip You can share your online application login details with officers allowing them to

review your application and offer advice and guidance, for example your ABAE Club Support Officer or a member of your County Sports Partnership

Other Available Funding

Sported is a charity aiming to leave a lasting legacy from London 2012 by transforming the lives of disadvantaged young people through sport

Boxing clubs up and down the country do this every day,

and a number have registered for free membership of Sported. Benefits include business development mentoring support, small grants of up-to £2,000, and large grants of up-to £10,000

To become a Sported member visit: www.sported.org.uk

Sportivate is a lottery funded London 2012 legacy project that gives 11-25 years

olds who are not particularly sporty access to six weeks’ of free or subsidised coaching. Funding is available for:

o payment for coaches to deliver projects o expenses for volunteers who help run projects o facility hire o transport to get participants and coaches to projects o marketing/publicity (posters, design time, printing) o administration costs o equipment o to pay for coaching qualifications for deliverers

To apply to deliver a Sportivate programme please contact your County Sports Partnership. You can find yours here: http://cspnetwork.org/en/your_csp/

There are 54 Community Foundations across the UK dedicated to strengthening local communities, creating opportunities and tackling issues of disadvantage and exclusion. They award grants that will make a difference to the lives of local people and manage a range of funds donated by individuals and organisations, including the Comic Relief Local Communities Programme

They also offer a professional volunteering service where local professionals, such as accountants, donate their time and services to voluntary and community groups

To find your Community Foundation visit: http://ukcommunityfoundations.org/community_foundations/map

The CSRT aims to improve the conditions of people by reason of their poverty who

would otherwise be unable to obtain facilities for recreation. Grants are available for equipment up-to the value of £1,000. The application process is short and applications from boxing clubs are viewed favourably; many boxing clubs have bought new equipment thanks to CSRT grants.

To apply visit: http://csrt.info/index.html

The Co-operative Membership Community Fund provides grants of up-to £2,000 to run projects that: address a community issue; provide a good long-term benefit to the community; support co-operative values and principles, and ideally are innovative in their approach. It is one of the few funds that will provide funding towards running costs and will also fund building and renovation costs

To apply online visit: http://www.co-operative.coop/membership/local-communities/apply-for-funding/

The co-operative values and principles can be found here: http://www.co-operative.coop/corporate/aboutus/The-Co-operative-Group-Values-and-Principles/

Cash 4 Clubs award grants twice a year to improve facilities, buy new equipment,

gain coaching qualifications, and generally invest in the sustainability of clubs. There are three tiers of grants at £250, £500 and £1,000. They look to fund clubs that play an active role in the community, and they value sport’s role in allowing people to get together socially and get active and keep fit at the same time

Apply at: http://www.cash-4-clubs.com/apply-for-a-grant

The People’s Postcode Trust provide funding for projects of up to six months from £500 up to £10,000. There are four funding rounds per year and each round is limited to specific areas of the country. Funds are awarded with the aims of: prevention of poverty; improvement of health; promotion of community development; advance participation in sport; promotion of human rights; promotion of environmental protection

Funding is available to cover a range of costs including: kit and equipment; running costs (up-to 20% of total amount requested); marketing costs (up-to 10% of amount requested)

Further information: http://www.postcodetrust.org.uk/small-grants.aspx

Torch Trophy Trust bursaries provide financial support through a number of annual rounds to individuals or groups to undertake training i.e. coaching qualifications and workshops. Grants of up to £1,000 are available to cover up-to 50% of course costs. A letter from the governing body must support the application

Find out more:

http://www.torchtrophytrust.org/index.php

Localgiving.com is the UK's leading fundraising website. It allows people to support small, local charities and community groups including sports clubs. For £72 a year clubs will get a unique webpage and access to benefits including online donations, and new supporters and volunteers

Register here: http://localgiving.com/charitysignup

The Bernard Sunley Charitable Foundation will fund sports clubs to help raise the quality of life in the UK, creating cohesive and positive communities. Grants are for capital costs including: facility building and refurbishment; sports equipment; equipment for grounds maintenance, and specialised transport. The trustees also wish to help those who are ex-offenders, ‘at risk’ or in danger of exclusion

There are 3 levels of grants: small up-to £5,000; medium up-to £25,000, and large over £25,000. To apply clubs need to send a letter of application to the Director

Clubs must have Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) status to apply (for

information on becoming a CASC please visit http://www.cascinfo.co.uk/; your ABAE Club Support Officer will be able to help and advise)

Link http://www.bernardsunley.org/index.html

Top Tip A Club Development Plan can be very helpful in gaining funding. It needn’t be lengthy and clarifying what you hope to achieve within the next 1-5 years – and how much it is

likely to cost - can help you to identify the right funders for your club

Receiving your Funding: Monitoring & Evaluation

Having been successful with an application for funding, clubs will need to provide information to the funder to show how the funding has been used and what difference it has made

Each funder will have their own requirements for monitoring and evaluation including the amount and type of information that they will need and how frequently they will need it; methods used to monitor and evaluate projects include:

o Measuring attendance figures via registers o Number of new members o Number of additional sessions delivered o Feedback from participants i.e. via questionnaires o Feedback from partners o Number of new coaches trained o Statistics related to specific performance indicators / outcomes that

were set in the application

Top Tip Use case studies and stories to

demonstrate the real impact that your project has had on people’s

lives; you should also promote your successes i.e. via the local media

and the ABAE website

Additional Support

Sport England’s Club Leaders is part of the Olympic Legacy programme, Places

People Play; it provides free training and support to the people in clubs that run

community sport on a day-to-day basis, helping create a robust, economically

sustainable and enterprising network of sports clubs

Club Leaders helps sports clubs to improve business skills by offering online

modules and toolkits, and face-to-face seminars. Information is available to help

clubs better understand their finances in areas including budgeting and accounting

To register for free visit: http://www.sportenglandclubleaders.com/

ABAE Club Support Officers can also help, for contact details visit: http://www.abae.co.uk/aba/index.cfm/about-us/club-support-officers1/

Appendix 1: Common Reasons why Funding Applications Fail The applicant is not eligible; always check eligibility criteria Projects are poorly planned Applicants do not present their project clearly and concisely on the form The applicant fails to demonstrate that they meet the criteria Applications are made without monitoring and evaluation processes in place The budget is problematic and/or poor financial management procedures The applicant misses the deadline The form is incomplete or illegible The supporting documents are incomplete, inaccurate, out-of-date, contradict the application form or are not enclosed The applicant is asking for too much

A Note on Failed Applications Sometimes a club makes a strong application and is unsuccessful and it is

important not to become disheartened and put off from making future applications. Funders are often over-subscribed with applications and sometimes there just isn’t enough funding available to fund all worthy projects

Clubs can apply to more than one funder to improve their chances of success, and should also seek feedback on any reasons for failure that may help them with future bids

Top Tip It is important that you consider your club’s finances carefully to ensure that the club

can meet its essential costs and is not overly reliant on grant funding

Appendix 2: Role Description Template for Funding Co-ordinator

Introduction: [NAME OF CLUB] is a fun and lively amateur boxing club affiliated to the Amateur Boxing Association of England with a membership of over [INSERT NUMBER] local boxers and a waiting list of over [INSERT NUMBER] people. The club is keen to create a bigger club and more opportunities per week to double the club’s membership and needs new volunteers to help. Role: Funding Co-ordinator Responsible to: Chairman Role purpose: To help the club achieve its goal by obtaining funding. Commitment: Max of 3 hours per week Main tasks: Identifying the club’s funding needs Ensuring that the club is maximising income generating opportunities Arranging club fund-raising opportunities Identifying potential sources of external funding Completing funding applications Maintaining contact with the local authority’s external funding team

and sports development team, and with the County Sports Partnership (CSP) regarding potential funding opportunities

Skills, qualifications, experience required: Enthusiastic individual who is keen to help a community club improve Experience of fundraising and or successfully obtaining funding from

funding bodies Good written and verbal communication Organisation skills ICT skills The ABAE have produced an ‘Applying for Funding’ guide to support the Funding Co-ordinator in this role Interested in this role please contact [INSERT NAME] on [INSERT PHONE / EMAIL CONTACT]

Appendix 3: Jargon Buster

Applying for funding can be made more difficult by confusing terminology; this table de-mystifies some commonly used terms:

Added Value

Shows how involvement of individuals/organisations can add to the initial investment in the development of a project

Baseline

Measure of where you are starting; benefits of your project can be measured against this to show what your project achieves

Beneficiaries

The people your project aims to work with or support

Business Plan

Document stating what the club will do in the next 2-5 years, how it will do it, with an income and expenditure forecast

Capacity Building Building the skills, abilities and knowledge of individuals or groups so they can progress i.e. training coaches and volunteers

Capital Funding

One off costs such as fixed equipment, building or renovation

Delivery Plan A plan that breaks down a project or club's work into a series of stages to achieve stated outcomes

Impact The difference your work or project makes

In Kind

Donated products, materials or equipment given instead of money; may also include volunteers’ time (check with funder)

Matched Funding

Funding that depends on others’ contributions to the project. This could be the club's own funds, other grants or income. It can take into account funding 'in kind' such as volunteers' time

Milestones

Intermediate targets which show how far a project is progressing towards its ultimate goal

Outcomes

The changes or benefits that your club brings about i.e. improved health of participants

Outputs

Activities, services or products that your club provides to achieve overall aims and outcomes i.e. new session for 20 people

Performance Indicators (PIs)

Pre-set measures by which the outputs and outcomes of a project are measured

Revenue Funding Ongoing costs such as courses, facility hire, equipment and event costs; also includes running costs such as bills and travel costs

Ring-Fenced Funds

Money allocated to cover expenditure on a specific item / activity

Seedcorn Money

Money to start something 'growing', e.g. a new project

Stakeholder

A group or individual with an interest in an activity

Sustainable Funding

Funding from a range of sources which spreads risk to ensure a club is best placed to safeguard their financial future; 'not keeping all your eggs in one basket'

Sustainable Activities

Activities that will continue beyond the period of funding i.e. via fees for participants