Sport England breaks £40m barrier with Community Club Development Programme

Sport England has announced it has reached the £40m mark in funding around 550 community sports club projects across the country.

The Community Club Development Programme has made awards from £5,000 to £925,000, with a focus on investment in the most deprived wards in England.

The programme is a five-year Exchequer-funded scheme running from 2003 to 2008, worth £100m, designed to give 19 National Governing Bodies (NGBs) the opportunity to bid directly for money for community capital projects.

The programme has also helped secure additional investment through schemes such as the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund.

Sixteen sports' NGBs have so far benefited from investment, including canoeing, rowing, judo and basketball.

Sport England chief executive, Roger Draper, said: "This programme has for the first time given the sports the opportunity to identify capital projects in need of investment and to work with Sport England to make them a success." Details: www.sportengland.org