A LIFELINE fund has been shared out to community sports groups, in a bid to make life easier for all as lockdown comes to an end.

Carlisle City Council and Cumbria County Council have been working in partnership to support Carlisle sports groups, launching a joint Sport Hardship Fund in January 2021.

As part of the government’s roadmap out of lockdown, organised outdoor sports were able to restart from March 29, and the key fund was therefore extended to support local sports clubs to reopen in a Covid-safe way.

All money given to sports clubs has been used to help prevent their closure, after they significantly missed out on income during lockdown.

Currock Amateur Boxing Club has recently received support from the Sports Hardship fund, which paid for a registration fee with its national governing body.

Club member Gary McGarvie said: “Things have been really hard due to the Covid pandemic, and with us not being able to open, we haven’t been able to receive any income.

"The grant will enable us to carry on for another year and help towards paying our subscription to England Boxing, we can then set up our satellite club in other areas of the city to try attract the youths from these areas.

"On behalf of everyone at Currock House Boxing Club, I just want to say a massive thank you.”

Youth Football Club Gillford Park FC was also awarded a grant in March 2021, as the club was in danger of closing due to a lack of income, caused by the pandemic.

Jackie Hayhow from the club said: “We are so grateful for the Hardship Funding we had received, this money will enable us to bridge the shortfall due to the lack of subscriptions we had received due to entering two lockdowns within the most expensive time of the football season, i.e. winter training facilities and match pitch fees.

"Some of our football family circumstances had changed, so we are now in a position to give them a little bit of breathing space too. Thank you very much.”

The fund will continue to prioritise financial support to not-for-profit sporting organisations facing hardship due to the pandemic.

Leader of Carlisle City Council, Councillor John Mallinson, said: “The revised Carlisle Sports Hardship Fund will support local clubs to ensure that a return to sporting activity is as safe as possible for volunteers and participants.

“The health and wellbeing of our local residents is one of our top priorities, and it’s important that we do all we can to support local community groups.

"We need to protect them and their valuable services during these challenging and unprecedented times.”

Councillor Deborah Earl, Cumbria County Council’s cabinet member for Public Health and Communities, added: “Sports groups and clubs provide access to all sorts of activities that help people stay healthy, active and fit.

"We know the grant fund will help many to protect their services from closure due to the ongoing Covid restrictions, and I’d urge any not-for-profit organisations to come forward and apply for funding.”

To find out more, visit the Active Cumbria website at www.activecumbria.org/workforce/funding, or email Aileen Grant, Carlisle locality officer, at aileen.grant@cumbria.gov.uk.

Not-for-profit sports groups wishing to apply for funding support should email helen.tickner@carlisle.gov.uk.