Barclays Community Sport Fund 2025 to 2027

Barclays Community Sport Fund 2025 to 2027 is sponsored by Barclays. Grants to community groups and grassroots sports organisations in the UK to increase access to football, tennis, and cricket for women and girls, as well as underrepresented groups.

Barclays Community Sport Fund | Barclays Barclays Community Sport Fund Sport opens doors to skills that last a lifetime. That’s why Barclays is giving grants to community sports groups who need it most.

</p>\n<p>In partnership with Sported, the Barclays Community Sport Fund offers grants, bespoke support, and exclusive ticketing opportunities to make football, tennis, and cricket more accessible to women and girls in communities across the UK*. </p>\n<p>Since the fund’s inception in 2022, we’ve helped over 4,000 community groups to make sport more accessible, with over 670,000 people supported by the fund so far.

</p>\n<p><strong>The Barclays Community Sport Fund is open for applications from Wednesday 25 March 2026 until Wednesday 27th May 2026. </strong></p>\n"}}" id="content"> Sport opens doors to skills that last a lifetime. That’s why Barclays is giving grants to community sports groups who need it most.

In partnership with Sported, the Barclays Community Sport Fund offers grants, bespoke support, and exclusive ticketing opportunities to make football, tennis, and cricket more accessible to women and girls in communities across the UK*. Since the fund’s inception in 2022, we’ve helped over 4,000 community groups to make sport more accessible, with over 670,000 people supported by the fund so far.

The Barclays Community Sport Fund is open for applications from Wednesday 25 March 2026 until Wednesday 27th May 2026. About the Barclays Community Sport Fund The Barclays Community Sport Fund, delivered in partnership with Sported, helps to reduce inequalities in sport – with a focus on football, tennis, and cricket.

</p>\r\n<p>The fund supports community groups and grassroots sports organisations who are working within the most deprived areas of the UK and are making sport more accessible to women and girls, as well as engaging people from other underrepresented groups including people with disabilities, from racially diverse communities and from the LGBTQ+ community.

</p>\r\n<p>The programme will support thousands of community groups across the UK with a total investment of £1. 4million a year over three years. </p>\r\n<p><strong>*Eligibility criteria apply.

UK only. Grants subject to availability. This is a three-year funding programme running from April 2025 until December 2027.

</strong></p>\r\n"}}" id="content"> The Barclays Community Sport Fund, delivered in partnership with Sported, helps to reduce inequalities in sport – with a focus on football, tennis, and cricket.

The fund supports community groups and grassroots sports organisations who are working within the most deprived areas of the UK and are making sport more accessible to women and girls, as well as engaging people from other underrepresented groups including people with disabilities, from racially diverse communities and from the LGBTQ+ community.

The programme will support thousands of community groups across the UK with a total investment of £1. 4million a year over three years. *Eligibility criteria apply.

UK only. Grants subject to availability. This is a three-year funding programme running from April 2025 until December 2027.

Is my club or group eligible to apply? The £1.

4 million-a-year fund provides grants to community groups that are:</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Making football, cricket, or tennis more accessible to women and girls</li>\n</ul>\n<p>AND</p>\n<ul>\n<li>Operating in areas of high deprivation*</li>\n</ul>\n<p><strong>*We will consider applications from groups engaging women and girls with disabilities or facing challenges of rural isolation, that are not in deprived areas.

</strong></p>\n"}}" id="content"> The £1. 4 million-a-year fund provides grants to community groups that are: Making football, cricket, or tennis more accessible to women and girls Operating in areas of high deprivation* *We will consider applications from groups engaging women and girls with disabilities or facing challenges of rural isolation, that are not in deprived areas.

\r\n<li>A £1000 grant to help sustain and increase access to football, tennis, and cricket for women and girls (as well as engage people from other underrepresented groups, such as people with disabilities, those from racially diverse communities and those from the LGBTQ+ community)</li>\r\n<li>Funding for football, tennis, and cricket coaching courses to help increase the number of female coaches delivering sport to girls</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n<p><strong>If successful for funding, your group will be able to access:</strong></p>\r\n<ul>\r\n<li>Exclusive match tickets, mascot places, and promotional opportunities</li>\r\n<li>Access to advice and support and signposting to training and resources</li>\r\n</ul>\r\n"}}" id="content"> A £1000 grant to help sustain and increase access to football, tennis, and cricket for women and girls (as well as engage people from other underrepresented groups, such as people with disabilities, those from racially diverse communities and those from the LGBTQ+ community) Funding for football, tennis, and cricket coaching courses to help increase the number of female coaches delivering sport to girls If successful for funding, your group will be able to access: Exclusive match tickets, mascot places, and promotional opportunities Access to advice and support and signposting to training and resources Sparking opportunities in Manchester Real change happens when you empower Black communities.

Black Community in Manchester with BCSF <strong>[Transcript includes spoken content only. On-screen text and visual context are not included.] </strong></p>\r\n<p><strong>00:07 Sophia Sanderson, Women Of Colour and the Beautiful Game: <br>\r\n </strong>Young Black community groups are some of the most unsupported in the UK, with traditional funding methods causing inequalities in access to grants.

So we're trying to do things a little differently. Barclays are empowering local community leaders who understand the needs of their local area. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:23 Ayodeji Olofinitila, Global Visional Initiative:<br>\r\n </strong>We get to make the decisions on where the funding goes, because we know where it is needed and the challenges it could solve.

I'm one of the community team leaders here in Manchester who help deliver funding to Black communities. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:36 Tony Wright, Socio Economic Regeneration CIC:<br>\r\n </strong>All of us have experienced social challenges ourselves, so we understand what our community needs. Programmes like this are able to help young people reach their potential.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:47 Alice Solomon, ReflecTeen Hub:<br>\r\n </strong>This football programme is thriving, with a focus on getting more girls involved. We've seen a huge increase in confidence, self-esteem and amazing skills on the pitch too.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:01 Sophia Sanderson, Women Of Colour and the Beautiful Game:<br>\r\n </strong>We are proud to be working with Barclays to ensure funding is going where it's needed, to use sport to empower the next generation. </p>\r\n"}}" id="content"> [Transcript includes spoken content only. On-screen text and visual context are not included.]

00:07 Sophia Sanderson, Women Of Colour and the Beautiful Game: Young Black community groups are some of the most unsupported in the UK, with traditional funding methods causing inequalities in access to grants. So we're trying to do things a little differently. Barclays are empowering local community leaders who understand the needs of their local area.

00:23 Ayodeji Olofinitila, Global Visional Initiative: We get to make the decisions on where the funding goes, because we know where it is needed and the challenges it could solve. I'm one of the community team leaders here in Manchester who help deliver funding to Black communities. 00:36 Tony Wright, Socio Economic Regeneration CIC: All of us have experienced social challenges ourselves, so we understand what our community needs.

Programmes like this are able to help young people reach their potential. 00:47 Alice Solomon, ReflecTeen Hub: This football programme is thriving, with a focus on getting more girls involved. We've seen a huge increase in confidence, self-esteem and amazing skills on the pitch too.

00:01 Sophia Sanderson, Women Of Colour and the Beautiful Game: We are proud to be working with Barclays to ensure funding is going where it's needed, to use sport to empower the next generation. A decade in football with Soho FC For 10 years, Soho FC has given members of the LGBT+ community and allies a safe space to play football.

A close-up of a footballer in rainbow laces with a Barclays football represents Barclays Community Sports Fund for the LGBT community <strong>[Transcript includes spoken content only. On-screen text and visual context are not included.] </strong></p>\r\n<p><strong>00:03 Harry (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>You hear some of the players saying stuff like, "gay people annoy me".

When you hear stuff like that, you're like, I don't really want to come out. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:13 Robert (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>I didn't really play football when I was younger that much because I knew I was gay and, secondary school and all that is a bit of a problem. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:21 Sam (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>I played for my college for three years at uni.

It wasn't a sort of environment where you could really feel that comfortable, and I did have like, moments that were not very pleasant, you know, you know how it is, or has been. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:32 Harry (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>Soho is just a very different culture from what I was used to. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:39 Austin (he/him), Manager, Soho FC:<br>\r\n </strong>It's ten years of Rainbow Laces.

Coincidentally, it's ten years of Soho FC. We think it's a great initiative. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:46 Robert (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>The work Rainbow Laces do and obviously all the clubs having their LGBT+ fan groups is a huge step.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:53 Sam (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>I can't explain how much that means, especially like, when you were younger and not as comfortable with yourself and seeing that you can be gay and play football. </p>\r\n<p><strong>01:01 Alan (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>Anything that encourages people to be part of a football club, or you know, partake or feel like they belong, I think is really important.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>01:11 Gez (he/him), Coach, Soho FC:<br>\r\n </strong>Soho FC is an LGBTQ+ friendly football club. When we started, we didn’t have enough people. We only had about seven or eight people and we trawled round and we found enough to do seven aside.

And we’ve been here ever since. </p>\r\n<p><strong>01:26 Alan (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>It's one of the more inclusive kind of clubs in every aspect. Sexuality, personalities and ability as well.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>01:34 Robert (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>When you go on the pitch, it's not about whether you're gay or not, it's just about having fun playing football with mates. </p>\r\n<p><strong>01:40 Aedo (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>I can dress whatever I want and I'm very welcome. You can be whatever you want to be and still play football no matter what.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>01:49 Mike (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>It is a very lonely city for someone that comes here and doesn't know anyone. And I think that's the beauty of Soho. </p>\r\n<p><strong>01:54 Mike (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>Just to kind of build that chemistry.

So we’ve got some new ones, we've got players that's been there for a while, so it's a good way of just everyone getting to know each other on and off the pitch. </p>\r\n<p><strong>02:06 Alan (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>Barclays Community Football Fund just breathes new life into your football team.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>02:09 Robert (he/him):<br>\r\n </strong>It also helps keep the match fees at a manageable level, especially at this time when everything is just going through the roof. So it allows us to keep people in football that maybe would be priced out of certain things. </p>\r\n<p>If you are gay, bisexual look for an LGBT friendly football club.

Like, join Soho. We're a great club. </p>\r\n<p>No matter where you are in the country there's plenty of LGBT football clubs that are always looking for people, always happy to welcome people on.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>02:42 Gez (he/him), Manager, Soho FC:<br>\r\n </strong>I hope that with the Barclays Community Football Fund that more clubs will start up or more clubs will be able to offer spaces to the underrepresented. One thing I'm really proud of is that we've lived up to our motto in the last ten years. Love football.

Be yourself. </p>\r\n"}}" id="content"> [Transcript includes spoken content only. On-screen text and visual context are not included.]

You hear some of the players saying stuff like, "gay people annoy me". When you hear stuff like that, you're like, I don't really want to come out. I didn't really play football when I was younger that much because I knew I was gay and, secondary school and all that is a bit of a problem.

I played for my college for three years at uni. It wasn't a sort of environment where you could really feel that comfortable, and I did have like, moments that were not very pleasant, you know, you know how it is, or has been. Soho is just a very different culture from what I was used to.

00:39 Austin (he/him), Manager, Soho FC: It's ten years of Rainbow Laces. Coincidentally, it's ten years of Soho FC. We think it's a great initiative.

The work Rainbow Laces do and obviously all the clubs having their LGBT+ fan groups is a huge step. I can't explain how much that means, especially like, when you were younger and not as comfortable with yourself and seeing that you can be gay and play football. Anything that encourages people to be part of a football club, or you know, partake or feel like they belong, I think is really important.

01:11 Gez (he/him), Coach, Soho FC: Soho FC is an LGBTQ+ friendly football club. When we started, we didn’t have enough people. We only had about seven or eight people and we trawled round and we found enough to do seven aside.

And we’ve been here ever since. It's one of the more inclusive kind of clubs in every aspect. Sexuality, personalities and ability as well.

When you go on the pitch, it's not about whether you're gay or not, it's just about having fun playing football with mates. I can dress whatever I want and I'm very welcome. You can be whatever you want to be and still play football no matter what.

It is a very lonely city for someone that comes here and doesn't know anyone. And I think that's the beauty of Soho. Just to kind of build that chemistry.

So we’ve got some new ones, we've got players that's been there for a while, so it's a good way of just everyone getting to know each other on and off the pitch. Barclays Community Football Fund just breathes new life into your football team. It also helps keep the match fees at a manageable level, especially at this time when everything is just going through the roof.

So it allows us to keep people in football that maybe would be priced out of certain things. If you are gay, bisexual look for an LGBT friendly football club. Like, join Soho.

We're a great club. No matter where you are in the country there's plenty of LGBT football clubs that are always looking for people, always happy to welcome people on. 02:42 Gez (he/him), Manager, Soho FC: I hope that with the Barclays Community Football Fund that more clubs will start up or more clubs will be able to offer spaces to the underrepresented.

One thing I'm really proud of is that we've lived up to our motto in the last ten years. Love football. Be yourself.

An Ian Wright and Kelly Smith ‘plasterclass’ We teamed up with Volunteer It Yourself to build female changing rooms at Cheetham Hill Sports Club. Ian Wright and Kelly Smith are on a football pitch watching a women's football game <strong>[Transcript includes spoken content only. On-screen text and visual context are not included.]

</strong></p>\r\n<p><strong>00:00 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>So we're here at Cheetham Hill Sports Club and we are going to be opening a dressing room, we are going to be plastering, in fact, and opening a dressing room that is for the girls.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:08 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>And I'm looking forward to seeing his plastering skills. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:14 Plasterer:<br>\r\n </strong>You are going to go along the line and then you're going to go up and across. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:17 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>I'll give it a go.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:19 Plasterer:<br>\r\n </strong>And drop it off there. Put that on the wall. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:22 Tim Reading, CEO and co-founder, Volunteer It Yourself:<br>\r\n </strong>This is a great project all about helping the club improve its facilities to, in turn, get more girls involved in sport and in the club.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:29 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>Rate this out of ten. Five? </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:32 Tim Reading, CEO and co-founder, Volunteer It Yourself:<br>\r\n </strong>So you've got young people mucking in, learning skills on the job but it's kind of bigger than that in terms of engaging young people and firing them up.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:39 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>That's pretty cool. Our changing rooms were just so cold, dingy, or changing in your car. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:47 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>Exactly.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:48 Chris Lines, Chairman Cheetham Hill Sports Club:<br>\r\n </strong>The impact that Barclays have is huge on a club like ourself. It goes an awful long way to making sure that we are inclusive. </p>\r\n<p><strong>00:57 Sadie, Volunteer:<br>\r\n </strong>What's it like returning to plastering today?

</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:59 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>I know the kind of gist of it. And I quite enjoy it, you know what I mean, it was quite therapeutic. </p>\r\n<p><strong>01:03 Sadie, Volunteer:<br>\r\n </strong>Quite relaxing, isn't it?

</p>\r\n<p><strong>01:04 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>It is quite relaxing, when you watch a real expert like our man here. </p>\r\n<p>Well the thing with Barclays, they're there for the long term. So this isn't like a five minute thing.

They are going to stay for the long haul like they did with the Premier League. The grassroots is just as important as the elite level. </p>\r\n<p><strong>01:21 Unknown speaker:<br>\r\n </strong>How do you feel about football when you're playing?

</p>\r\n<p><strong>01:23 Cheetham Hill Sports Club player:<br>\r\n </strong>It's just amazing. Once you start, you can't stop and you just want to do it all the time. </p>\r\n<p><strong>01:29 Jason Bangbala, Football Lead, Cheetham Hill Sports Club:<br>\r\n </strong>There's two things that really enhance inclusion and opportunity.

One is a warm and welcoming environment to come in, and good conditions. And we are absolutely delighted. It's another cog in creating the great environment which we're trying to do at Cheetham Hill.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>01:47 Mariecha, Volunteer:<br>\r\n </strong>Having Ian Wright and Kelly Smith come here, it's great to know them and how they became footballers and they want to show us that you can get your dreams, you can get your goals. </p>\r\n<p><strong>01:56 Johnny Broadbent, Lead teacher, Timeout Homes:<br>\r\n </strong>So they come down here to kind of learn some new skills like construction.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>01:59 Caitlin Connor, Teaching assistant, Timeout Homes:<br>\r\n </strong>They get qualifications from it, as well, so it really opens up their opportunities. </p>\r\n<p><strong>02:04 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>Go on, Daisy. No chance I had.

</p>\r\n<p>It's brilliant what's happening here, especially coming off the Euros and the success we had without forgetting where it all started. So it makes you feel good. </p>\r\n<p><strong>02:18 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>You had the technique down.

</p>\r\n<p><strong>02:20 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>I had the technique but like, I was very nervous. </p>\r\n<p><strong>02:22 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>There were loads of holes on my bit and he had to patch it up. </p>\r\n<p><strong>02:25 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador:<br>\r\n </strong>It's brilliant.

It was a great day. Great day. </p>\r\n"}}" id="content"> [Transcript includes spoken content only.

On-screen text and visual context are not included.] 00:00 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: So we're here at Cheetham Hill Sports Club and we are going to be opening a dressing room, we are going to be plastering, in fact, and opening a dressing room that is for the girls. 00:08 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: And I'm looking forward to seeing his plastering skills.

You are going to go along the line and then you're going to go up and across. 00:17 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: And drop it off there. Put that on the wall.

00:22 Tim Reading, CEO and co-founder, Volunteer It Yourself: This is a great project all about helping the club improve its facilities to, in turn, get more girls involved in sport and in the club. 00:29 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: Rate this out of ten. Five?

00:32 Tim Reading, CEO and co-founder, Volunteer It Yourself: So you've got young people mucking in, learning skills on the job but it's kind of bigger than that in terms of engaging young people and firing them up. 00:39 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: That's pretty cool. Our changing rooms were just so cold, dingy, or changing in your car.

00:47 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: 00:48 Chris Lines, Chairman Cheetham Hill Sports Club: The impact that Barclays have is huge on a club like ourself. It goes an awful long way to making sure that we are inclusive. What's it like returning to plastering today?

00:59 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: I know the kind of gist of it. And I quite enjoy it, you know what I mean, it was quite therapeutic. Quite relaxing, isn't it?

01:04 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: It is quite relaxing, when you watch a real expert like our man here. Well the thing with Barclays, they're there for the long term. So this isn't like a five minute thing.

They are going to stay for the long haul like they did with the Premier League. The grassroots is just as important as the elite level. How do you feel about football when you're playing?

01:23 Cheetham Hill Sports Club player: It's just amazing. Once you start, you can't stop and you just want to do it all the time. 01:29 Jason Bangbala, Football Lead, Cheetham Hill Sports Club: There's two things that really enhance inclusion and opportunity.

One is a warm and welcoming environment to come in, and good conditions. And we are absolutely delighted. It's another cog in creating the great environment which we're trying to do at Cheetham Hill.

01:47 Mariecha, Volunteer: Having Ian Wright and Kelly Smith come here, it's great to know them and how they became footballers and they want to show us that you can get your dreams, you can get your goals. 01:56 Johnny Broadbent, Lead teacher, Timeout Homes: So they come down here to kind of learn some new skills like construction.

01:59 Caitlin Connor, Teaching assistant, Timeout Homes: They get qualifications from it, as well, so it really opens up their opportunities. 02:04 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: Go on, Daisy. No chance I had.

It's brilliant what's happening here, especially coming off the Euros and the success we had without forgetting where it all started. So it makes you feel good. 02:18 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: You had the technique down.

02:20 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: I had the technique but like, I was very nervous. 02:22 Kelly Smith, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: There were loads of holes on my bit and he had to patch it up. 02:25 Ian Wright, Former player and Barclays football ambassador: It's brilliant.

It was a great day. Great day. Football opens doors to skills that last a lifetime That’s why the Barclays Community Football Fund is giving grants to local sports groups who need it most.

Tennage girls playing football in Barclays branded football gear <strong>[Transcript includes spoken content only. On-screen text and visual context are not included.] </strong></p>\r\n<p><strong>00:06 Teacher:<br>\r\n </strong>Anya</p>\r\n<p><strong>00:19 Narrator:<br>\r\n </strong>Football opens doors to skills that last a lifetime.

That's why the Barclays Community Football Fund is giving grants to local sports groups who need it most. </p>\r\n"}}" id="content"> [Transcript includes spoken content only. On-screen text and visual context are not included.]

Football opens doors to skills that last a lifetime. That's why the Barclays Community Football Fund is giving grants to local sports groups who need it most. Sported is the UK’s largest charity supporting grassroots sport, supporting more than 5,000 groups across the country to use the life-changing benefits of sport to transform lives and strengthen communities.

</p>\r\n"}}" id="content"> Sported is the UK’s largest charity supporting grassroots sport, supporting more than 5,000 groups across the country to use the life-changing benefits of sport to transform lives and strengthen communities.