Final chance to apply for Club Improvement Fund this affiliation year

Our purpose at England Athletics is to inspire more athletes and runners of all abilities and backgrounds to fulfil their potential and to have a lifelong love for the sport.

We know that clubs face many financial barriers, so providing funding opportunities is an integral part of the support we offer to member clubs.

There is one final chance to apply for the Club Improvement Fund this affiliation year. The application window will remain open until 9 am on Monday 20th January 2025. Please note that Clubs must now have all aspects of Club Standard 6 in place at the point of application to ensure their application can be processed within the timeframe allocated.

The Club Improvement Fund has now closed and will reopen for applications in March 2025.

About the fund

The Club Improvement Fund provides grants of up to £500 to support clubs to reduce some of the barriers they may be facing and help them to provide a welcoming and vibrant environment for their members.

We are particularly interested in club projects that focus on one or more of the points below;

• Improving your online presence to support communication with existing members and welcome new ones.
• Recruitment and training of new volunteers or supporting the development of your existing workforce to add capacity or enhance member experience.
• Providing new opportunities to members, giving them a vibrant experience at your club.
• Supporting the development of an athlete pathway within the club.
• Developing links with your local community.

The grant programme, which again will offer affiliated clubs funding of up to £500 is open throughout the year. However we do have a limited amount of funds and once this allocation has been granted the fund will close for the year.

Please note that clubs who received Club Improvement Funding for coach education last year will not be eligible to apply for coach education grants this time but can apply for other projects.

Hear from clubs

Last year England Athletics provided grants to 104 Clubs. This funding helped clubs with a range of projects including improving their online presence, increasing the number of qualified coaches and leaders at their club, and creating a safe environment for athletes to train.