More details given on the Sport Winter Survival Package
15 Feb 2021 02:39 PM
We're administering the £300 million fund that's aimed at helping sports, clubs and leagues affected by restrictions placed on spectator attendance over the winter.
In order to answer some of the most common questions we’ve received about the Sport Winter Survival Package (SWSP), we’ve put together a summary of the fund, its progress to date and a frequently asked questions section.
The SWSP was announced in November to protect the immediate future of major spectator sports in England directly affected by coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions on spectators attending fixtures and events between October 2020 and March 2021.
About the fund
The SWSP provides a total of around £300 million in survival funding and is designed to support organisations - such as professional sports clubs - in urgent financial need as a result of a loss of spectators.
This funding package is predominantly made up of loans, with grants only being considered by exception.
The SWSP is not focused on community sports organisations, but we've been supporting grassroots sport since the pandemic began with grant funding available throughout.
Independent decision-making board
The Secretary of State for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Oliver Dowden, has appointed a new, independent board who are overseeing the funding process and making all investment decisions related to the package.
The board members are:
- Sir Ian Cheshire (Chair), chairman of Barclays Bank UK PLC
- Lord Patel of Bradford, chairman of Social Work England and senior board director at the England and Wales Cricket Board
- Nick Timothy, non-executive board member of the Department for Education, and member of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee
- Denise Lewis, sports presenter and Olympic heptathlon gold medallist
- Tim Hollingsworth, chief executive of Sport England
- Natalie Ceeney, Vice-Chair of Sport England and chair of Innovate Finance
- Sally Munday, chief executive of UK Sport
- Ben Dean, director of sport, gambling and ceremonials at DCMS.
We, Sport England, are administering the SWSP on behalf of the government but aren't responsible for making decisions on how funding is allocated.
Click here for the full press release