Funding available for facilities damaged by extreme weather

Community organisations affected by the recent impact of winter storms, including Storms Bert, Conall and Darragh, can apply to our Movement Fund to recover quickly.

Supporting emergency relief and helping with costs during a crisis, like flood damage from extreme weather, is catered for by the Movement Fund – with its goal being to get more people active in England.

And our chief executive, Tim Hollingsworth, is aware of the impact severe weather can have on sport and physical activity providers, and the communities they serve.

A flooded cricket pitch and pavilion after a river burst its banks.

“Storms and major weather events don’t just damage our facilities and pitches; they damage our opportunities for good health, community connection, fun and friendship too,” he said.

“That’s why the Movement fund is available to organisations that are struggling in the aftermath, to restore opportunities to play sport and get active in the worst-hit areas.”

Funding will be prioritised to support sports and activities that need to recover quickly, with spring and summer sports, or where activity is not scheduled to take place for several weeks, being a lower priority.

Key information

Who can apply?

The Movement Fund eligibility criteria will apply to organisations seeking emergency relief funding.

Organisations applying will need to confirm they have any relevant permissions required to carry out the work.

Applications should submit evidence of damage which is directly attributable to the recent extreme weather.

This should be in the form of photographs or reports of the damage that has occurred.

As part of our commitment towards our collective net zero ambitions, applicants should explain how, as an organisation, they’re attempting to reduce energy usage, promote responsible travel, reduce waste and set out how they’ll restore their facilities in a way that builds resilience to future storm damage.

What can funding be used for?

We can fund emergency costs to help restore sports facilities and activity venues.

Examples include:

skip hire to remove sediment and rubbish
minor electrical works to restore power
decontamination works or clearing of blocked drains
cleaning work to get showers and changing rooms back up and running
securing buildings.

Is there anything you won’t fund?

The funding is only designed to help with the initial clear-up to enable activity to resume.

We won’t fund the following costs:

Loss of stock
Loss of income
Goods or services valued in-kind (you'll be required to provide evidence of expenditure)
Any routine maintenance or repairs resulting from everyday wear and tear. This includes work to grass playing pitches that would usually be part of annual maintenance plans
Football facilities where they are predominantly used for affiliated/competitive league football – any funding request for projects that include football will need to clearly show they are a multi-activity facility
Any repairs to items or buildings that could be claimed through insurance policies.

What other help is available?

You can find additional advice and information which may help your organisation deal with environmental factors.

Find out more and apply

Movement Fund