Marathon cash helps sports groups to keep on running

This unique fund was swiftly set up in September in response to the needs of community organisations impacted by the race riots across the UK after the deaths of three young girls in a knife attack in Southport on 29 July. Community centres were damaged, local activities cancelled, and income lost. Staff and volunteers worked tirelessly to provide support and comfort in fearful, disrupted communities.

The London Marathon Foundation recognised that this disruption and loss of income, on top of the cost-of-living crisis, was impacting significantly on clubs and organisations. The Foundation believed that grassroots organisations embedded in the communities they serve were best placed to offer targeted support where it was most needed.

The Solidarity Fund was launched in September 2024 with grants distributed through Sported. A budget of £240,000 was allocated to provide targeted support of £2,000 to sports clubs and groups which had been financially or logistically impacted by the violence. The fund targeted organisations across the UK with a focus on areas where rioting had been widespread.

Blackburn Blind Sports, which offers weekly sport sessions supporting blind people to access sport in an inclusive setting. Almost every member at the sessions is Muslim and of South Asian ethnicity.

The sessions were paused while protests and counter protests took place in the town with some members too scared to leave their homes for fear of being targeted.

Blackburn Blind Sports used the grant to fund direct transport in the short term for their members to travel safely. They also changed venue to a more secure council-run sports hall.

Its chair, Salim Patel, said: “This summer created some worrying times for us, but the London Marathon Foundation Solidarity Fund was one of many ways that we as a disabled and diverse community felt supported. The fund enabled us to look at keeping our members, who are blind, even more safe and without it, we might have had to consider stopping our sessions completely.”

Nick Bitel, London Marathon Group CEO, said: “We were acutely aware that community-based organisations were hit hard while also being called upon to provide support locally and we recognised that this would put already squeezed organisations under potentially critical pressure. The London Marathon Foundation Community Solidarity Fund was created to demonstrate solidarity and offer a little immediate help. We know this won’t solve the long-term effects of the dreadful violence we saw, but hope it offers the clubs and groups impacted some respite.”

To ensure that funds could be paid out quickly and provide much- needed immediate short-term relief, awards were capped at £2,000, enabling a simple, swift application and sign-off process and faster payment of funds.

Sported CEO, Sarah Kaye, added: “Grassroots sports organisations are brilliant at making a real difference through targeted and meaningful help. The application process highlighted so many inspiring and innovative ideas to support and unite communities across the UK. We’re pleased the fund has been able to deliver assistance where it is most needed to underpin the work of these clubs and groups.”