£551,875 awarded to Rotherham United Community Sports Trust (RUCST) will use football to boost the activity levels of people in the local community.
An exciting new programme from Sport England, funded by the National Lottery, and delivered by the Football Foundation will support targeted communities in Rotherham to get more active. Active Through Football is providing RUCST, on behalf of a group of organisations with revenue funding to increase participation in football. The consortium went through a competitive process to secure the funding which was open to a shortlist of areas across the country where we see some of the greatest inequalities preventing communities from being physically active.
Working as part of a consortium with key partners including; Sheffield and Hallamshire CFA, Rotherham MBC, Yorkshire Sport Foundation, Rotherham Ethnic Minority Alliance (REMA) and Voluntary Action Rotherham, RUCST aim to engage working-age adults who live or work in Kimberworth, Maltby and Eastwood to become more active through football. Through the delivery of recreational football activities, the overall aim of this project is to create healthy habits that will last a lifetime, through improved physical and mental health and wellbeing.
Jamie Noble, Head of Community said: “We are overjoyed to have been successful in our application to lead the Active Through Football Project in Rotherham. The trust has come on leaps and bounds in recent years and it’s a credit to the amazing staff we have here at RUCST.
“The Active Through Football project will provide targeted communities in Rotherham with fantastic opportunities to engage in bespoke activities catered specifically to community need
“We are looking forward to continuing to work as a consortium to drive this project forward with local, like-minded organisations in Rotherham to tackle inactivity and encourage people into changing long term habits.”
Tim Hollingsworth, CEO of Sport England, said: “There is a reason why football is followed and played by so many the world over. It brings people together and helps build connections in communities. It’s also the sport that is played the most in England and has a reach into places where our research shows activity levels are lower.
“Sport England is proud to be one of the funding partners helping to tackle these inequalities and to support more people from a variety of backgrounds to enjoy playing football and all the benefits that brings.”
Robert Sullivan, Chief Executive of the Football Foundation, said: “This grant award to Rotherham United Community Sports Trust is fantastic news for the local community in Rotherham. Football is a game for everyone – regardless of their background – and it’s only right that people across all walks of life are able to play the nation’s favourite game.
“Over the past 21 years, we have been working with communities up and down the country to ensure everyone has access to play football.
“Thanks to Sport England National Lottery Investment, this new project will help to transform people’s lives by developing Actie Through Football in Rotherham, unlocking the many benefits of football for the community.”
For more information contact community@rotherhamunited.net or 01709 827767.