Sport England cuts grassroots funding on six sports
by Tom Walker | 28 Mar 2014
The number of people playing football has declined steadily
Sport England has scaled back its funding on six sports following falls in participation figures.
A total of £2.8m worth of grants will be suspended, with football experiencing the single largest cut at £1.6m.
The cuts are the outcome of Sport England's first Payment for Results review, which showed that 11 sports (athletics, football, rugby union, rowing, badminton, cricket, equestrianism, golf, hockey, mountaineering and netball) were at risk of losing funding.
Only six of those have seen their funding being cut, although three national governing bodies (England and Wales Cricket Board, Badminton England and Rugby Football Union) have been put on notice that they must deliver growth by December 2014 or lose money next year.
Sport England CEO Jennie Price said: "I want these decisions to send a clear message to those NGBs who need to change.
"This year, we are removing up to 10 per cent of their future investment, and we will be working with them to improve their plans.
"I want to reassure people who play those sports that they won't lose out – we will still fund them, but through other bodies, such as local authorities or charities."
Responding to the cuts, the general secretary of the Football Association, Alex Horne, said: "It's naturally disappointing to learn that Sport England is cutting its funding to football especially at a time when the challenges faced by the grassroots of our game are so acute.
"Grassroots football is played on facilities almost exclusively owned and maintained by local authorities. A combination of severe weather, increased pitch hire costs and reduced maintenance spend has made this a very difficult time for clubs seeking to complete their fixtures and for individual players to value and enjoy regular football."
• Around half of Sport England's total grant funding is invested in 46 national governing bodies (NGBs) to grow their sport.
Under the Payment for Results process, the performance of each NGB is reviewed annually to ensure it is delivering results and value for the public money it receives. Those failing to achieve annual targets risk losing up to 20 per cent of their future funding.
The full list of the NGBs that have suffered cuts, followed by the amount axed from annual grants, following the review outcome:
Football Association -£1.6mEngland Golf Partnership -£496,000
England Netball -£275,000British Rowing -£236,000
England Hockey -£137,000British Mountaneering Council -£97,000
Sport England has scaled back its funding on six sports following falls in participation figures. A total of £2.8m worth of grants will be suspended, with football experiencing the single largest cut at £1.6m. The cuts are the outcome of Sport England's first Payment for Results review, which showed that 11 sports (athletics, football, rugby union, rowing, badminton, cricket, equestrianism, golf, hockey, mountaineering and netball) were at risk of losing
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