Funding your passion

Individual funding

Funding can be available for: 

• Talented athletes (often young athletes)
• Coaching
• Providing access to equipment to support disabled people to be active
  Volunteer development and training
• Turning great ideas into reality

There are some helpful tools out there to help you find funding. Some are even free (e.g. GrantsOnline).

Trusts, foundations and other organisations are a good source of grants. Here are a few.

• Royal Southern Yacht Club Trust – enable and encourage sailing for all, including through individual grants.
• Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation – Volunteer Instructor Training Grants
• GLL Sport Foundation – the UKS’s largest independent athlete support programme for talented athletes
• SportsAid – national charity supporting international level young athletes and up to 35 for disabled athletes
• Everyone Active Sporting Champions - funding and support for talented athletes from across the UK
• The Dickie Bird Foundation - grants for young disadvantaged people under 16 to participate in sport (travel and coaching not payable).
• Local Authorities – your local authority may provide a bursary to resident athletes and/or coaches and volunteers
• The Princes Trust – helping young people under the age of 25 train and learn with Development Awards
• Caudwell Children Sports Equipment – giving disabled children the chance to achieve their sporting dreams
• Sports Foundation for the disabled - individual funding for people at all levels in sport from grassroots through to elite athletes

Sponsorship

Can you offer something a company, organisation or individual might want to support?

Sponsorship comes in different forms, most commonly financial (cash) and in-kind sponsors (goods or services). In return a sponsor will want some gain or benefit, from goodwill in the local community to guaranteed media exposure.

1. Work out what you have that is unique and of value that a company may wish to be involved in
2. Consider the time you will have to commit to your sponsor
3. Think about what a sponsor might be looking for – naming rights, endorsements, visibility on clothing and equipment, social media content etc.
4. Decide what you have to offer and be honest about what you can deliver – what audiences do you appeal to, what profile can you offer (the sport and you personally), what is the level of local interest
5. Do your research – the right industry, the right brand, the right contact
6. Create a document, make the approach and follow up

Charities

Condition specific and disability charities may be able to help individuals to access sport and activity. Within the boating community there are many such charitable organisations.