- Flutter’s Cash4Clubs fund sees record number of applications
- More than half of the applications are from groups supporting adults experiencing poverty.
- Football stars Alan Shearer and Peter Crouch back campaign as grassroots clubs battle rising costs.
- Non-profit organisations providing physical activities to adults are encouraged to apply for funding ahead of the December 8th deadline.
London, December 1st, 2025 - A record-breaking cohort of more than 1,000 grassroots sports clubs have applied for Flutter’s £500,000 Cash4Clubs programme, highlighting the growing funding pressures facing communities across the UK and Ireland.
With just one week to go until the deadline for applications, Paddy Power and Sky Bet owner Flutter revealed 1,082 clubs had applied for one of the 250 grants of £2,000 available under the scheme founded more than 15 years ago.
Football legends Alan Shearer and Peter Crouch helped launched the programme in October with community and neighbourhood sports clubs urged to apply for money to help drive adult participation in sport and fitness programmes. The money can be used to buy vital equipment, run training programmes or recruit more staff.
The application window closes on December 8, with successful clubs informed over the New Year based on a range of different criteria to ensure those who need it most receive the financial lifeline.
“The response to this year’s Cash4Clubs programme has been overwhelming,” Kevin Harrington, CEO of Flutter UKI explained.
“We already have more applications than we can fund, which really shows the level of need for initiatives like Flutter’s Cash4Clubs in supporting the health and wellbeing of adults.
It’s vital that we continue to help these small organisations continue to survive and thrive.”
Flutter has invested nearly £7 million to local sports under the Cash4Clubs scheme – run in partnership with Sported. Last year’s winners included the Sunderland Deaf Darts Society, Merseyside’s Parkinson’s Ninja CIC and the Swindon Storm American Football Team.
According to a recent study, an estimated 40% of adult grassroots sports clubs are cancelling services because of financial pressures. A quarter don't believe they will remain financially sustainable beyond the next 12 months without external funding. A further 22% believed their service will be unsustainable in a year, with a combination of rising day-to-day costs, insurance bills and difficulty finding staff and volunteers to blame.
Almost three-quarters of funding applications for the current Cash4Clubs fund have come from England, while Wales accounts for 12%, and Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland all account for approximately 5% of applications respectively.
Within England, 16% came from the North West region, while Yorkshire and Humber are matched with London at 13% and a further 12% of applications have come from organisations in the West Midlands.
Leading charity Sported will help administer the funds, and Mark Woods, Head of Marketing revealed that they have been overwhelmed by applicants this year in particular: “More than half of the applicants (52%) come from groups providing access to sports activities for people experiencing poverty or mental health challenges, whilst a significant number cater for older people and cite combating loneliness as a key issue they seek to overcome.”
2025 Cash4Clubs grant recipient Village Manchester Football Club (VMFC), one of the UK’s leading inclusive football clubs, used their grant to keep player fees affordable, cover pitch hire costs, referee fees, equipment, insurance, league affiliations and new kit.
Steve Joyce, chair of VMFC, which provides a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQ+ players across Manchester, said: “The Cash4Clubs grant of £2,000 was a fabulous contribution to VMFC that has enabled us to keep players’ costs down.
“LGBTQ+ people are more likely to experience isolation, low confidence and mental health challenges but through football, we see people grow in confidence, build friendships and become part of something bigger. Grants like this make that possible. Nobody should have a barrier to participation because of cost.”
For more information, please contact corporatemedia@flutter.com.
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