Grant News
England Athletics, the national governing body for athletics and running in England, has reopened applications to its Club Improvement Fund, offering grants of up to £500 to affiliated clubs across England for projects that address barriers to growth, retention and member development.
The fund is open to all England Athletics affiliated clubs, with priority given to clubs that have not received funding in the past 12 months.
Applicants must be compliant with all seven Club Standards and be actively embedding those standards in day-to-day club operations.
England Athletics are particularly interested in funding projects that cover one or more of the following areas:
- Recruitment and training of new volunteers to add capacity or enhance member experience.
- Supporting members to reach their potential through the development of existing volunteers or provision of new club experiences.
- Increasing retention of junior athletes through the modernisation of the club and competition experience.
- Enhancing how clubs recruit and engage with new members.
- Supporting clubs with the transition to the new age group categories.
Clubs supported through the fund last year included:
Cheltenham & County Harriers used a Club Improvement Grant to overhaul their ageing website, moving to a new hosting platform and improving navigation, imagery, video capacity, social media links, and member information.
West Cheshire AC used funding to buy equipment, including a standing long jump mat, to support its involvement in the North West Sportshall League and help host the Cheshire Primary and Secondary Schools Sportshall Athletics Finals.
Bedale and Aiskew Runners secured funding to develop a new Coach in Running Fitness, support club growth, and buy equipment including a timing clock display and small hurdles for training sessions.
The closing date for applications is the 30 April 2026,