More on KentOnline
More on KentOnline
Sports in England will benefit from a £300million Sports Winter Survival Package, the government has announced.
The money will be distributed by national governing bodies through to clubs who have been impacted by coronavirus restrictions, with sports being played behind closed doors or with limited attendances.
Football, rugby union and league, horse racing, motorsport, ice hockey and greyhound racing are among the sports set to benefit.
Also on the list is tennis, badminton and netball but notable absences are cricket, hockey and athletics as well as the EFL and Premier League in football.
The headline figure of £300m across all sports looks impressive but the government say it "will be largely composed of loans". More information is yet to be announced but Sport England will provide the detail behind the headline figure.
Preliminary allocations have been made on a needs based assessment process and reflect the submissions made from the individual sports, and the funding process will be overseen by an independent decision-making board and supported by Sport England.
Focus in Kent will include MotorSport Vision, owners of Brands Hatch, who will benefit from a share of £6million allocated to owners of major motosport circuits.
Also in the spotlight will be the division of funds to the National League. Some clubs have criticised the way the National League divided their £10million National Lottery funding, although the League's directors have since defended their position.
Preliminary breakdown of funding by sport, based on needs assessment (final figures to be confirmed):
Rugby Union: £135 million
Rugby Football Union: £44 million
Premiership Rugby clubs: £59 million
Championship Rugby clubs: £9 million
Rugby clubs below Championship: £23 million
Horse Racing: £40 million
Racecourses: £40 million
Football: £28 million
National League (steps 1-2): £11 million - this follows the announcement that National League clubs at steps 1-2 would receive £10 million National Lottery funding up to the end of 2020.
National League (steps 3-6): £14 million
Women’s Football (Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship): £3 million
Rugby League: £12 million
Rugby Football League: £12 million - this will be delivered as a top-up to the existing Government loan scheme announced in May 2020, to reflect updated circumstances.
Motorsport: £6 million
Owners/operators of major circuits (Silverstone, Goodwood, The British Automobile Racing Club, MotorSport Vision): £6 million
Tennis: £5 million
Lawn Tennis Association: £5 million
Netball: £4 million
England Netball: £2 million
Super League Netball: £2 million
Basketball: £4 million
Basketball England: £1 million
British Basketball League clubs (including Women’s British Basketball League clubs): £3 million
Ice Hockey: £4 million
Elite League: £4 million
Badminton: £2 million
Badminton England: £2 million
Greyhound racing: £1 million
Greyhound Board of Great Britain: £1 million
Oliver Dowden, secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: "Sports clubs are the beating hearts of their communities, and this £300 million boost will help them survive this difficult winter period.
"We promised to stand by sports when we had to postpone fans returning. We are doing just that by delivering another £300 million on top of existing business support schemes.
"Britain is a sports powerhouse, and this government will do everything we can to help our precious sports and clubs make it through covid."
Sports Minister Nigel Huddleston said: "Over the past few weeks we have worked tirelessly with sport governing bodies and clubs across the country to fully assess what support is needed, as a result of the decision to postpone the return of fans.
"We know the vast majority of sports - many of which operate on tight financial margins - have been making serious cost reductions, such as locking down grounds, taking up the furlough scheme for many staff and halting excess payments.
"Whilst the Government’s overall economic package has provided a significant buffer, it is absolutely right that we now intervene to protect entire sports, and the communities they support, as we navigate this pandemic."
It is expected that the first levels of funding will be distributed in the coming weeks.
