Further funding announced for grassroots athletics in England
County Associations in England will receive funding for a 10th consecutive year from England Athletics to improve track and field championships.
It is part of the governing body’s continued investment programme into grassroots athletics which also includes a repeat of the £100,000 a year it currently gives to the English Schools Athletics Association.
That investment by England Athletics into the ESAA since 2008/09 is now approaching £1.5million.
Chris Jones, CEO of England Athletics, said:
“This ongoing investment into grassroots athletics is central to our strategic commitment to enhance experiences for athletes and runners across England and to ensure that we are retaining and growing the number of club athletes taking part in licensed track and field competitions. To realise this aim we must work together, with and through others, recognising that the majority of domestic competitions are delivered by hard working volunteer led bodies. We are going to be announcing further funding into other athletics and running bodies in the coming weeks which is also really exciting as we strive to provide inclusive, fun, and inspiring experiences for all participants in our sport.”
County Associations can apply for a grant of £500 towards the costs of enhancing the technology provision at their track and field championships.
Events that qualify for this funding will include: online entry, online results, photo finish, and the use of electronic distance measuring (EDM) devices on long throws.
- Application for these grants open on 1 April 2023 via an online process and close on 1 June 2023.
Nichola Skedgel, Competition Partnerships and Innovation Manager at England Athletics, said:
“Counties are an important part of the athlete pathway and provide the first championship opportunity of the season. For an athlete, competing at a county track and field championships and being awarded a county medal is as prestigious now as it ever was, and we want that experience to be a special and meaningful one for everyone taking part.”
All County Associations affiliated with England Athletics can get full free of charge access to the Roster Athletics system after the two organisations partnered in 2021 to provide an online entry and results programme.
This means, therefore, that the grant from England Athletics doesn’t have to be spent on event entry, as Roster can provide this our partners for free, which means the £500 funding can go further.