Former England heroes Alan Shearer and Peter Crouch are urging community sports clubs to take advantage of a £500,000 funding lifeline – as polling shows 43 per cent of grassroots organisations are having to cancel services because of a lack of funding.
Clubs offering vital sports and fitness activities blame rising day-to-day costs, insurance bills and a difficulty in finding staff and other volunteers – with almost a quarter (22 per cent) fearing they will be financially unsustainable within the next year.
The warning comes as Flutter UKI launches Cash4Clubs 2026, offering £500,000 to sports clubs across the UK and Ireland. Two hundred and fifty clubs will be able to bid for grants of £2,000 a time to help buy new equipment, hire coaches, run training programmes or simply boost their marketing to bring in new members.
The polling, commissioned to coincide with the launch of Cash4Clubs 2026, shows grassroots sports funding has never been so important. Only 45 per cent of clubs believe they can fully meet their members’ needs.
Cash4Clubs 2026 will see Flutter UKI unveil a £500,000 fund as survey shows challenges facing community sport
The Brain Injury Foundation are a former Cash4Clubs recipient – an initiative launched by Flutter UKI to help clubs buy new equipment, hire coaches, and run training programmes
This year’s Cash4Clubs programme is backed by a host of sporting celebrities who are calling on clubs to apply for the money from Flutter UKI – which runs Sky Bet, Paddy Power, Betfair, tombola and PokerStars.
Former England and Liverpool striker, Peter Crouch, said an additional £2,000 can make all the difference to local clubs.
‘It can keep the lights on, keep facilities open and accessible and provide much-needed funds to invest in equipment or training volunteers,’ he said.
‘These clubs aren’t just about sport – they’re giving people a place to belong, to build confidence and stay active. It’s why Cash4Clubs is so important, and I would urge people to apply.’
England and Newcastle legend Alan Shearer echoed Crouch’s sentiments.
‘Throughout my career, on and off the field, I’ve witnessed the incredible power of sport to transform lives,’ he said.
‘Local grassroots clubs and organisations aren’t nice to have; they are essential community assets. These grants can provide a vital helping hand and the impact, particularly in deprived areas, can be profound.’
Cash4Clubs was launched in 2008, and since then, Flutter UKI has invested nearly £7 million into community sports. Earlier this year, almost 32,000 people from 200 different clubs benefited from this fund.
76 per cent worked with lower socio-economic groups, and 86 per cent of clubs polled by leading UK charity Sported, who deliver the Cash4Clubs programme, reported they had grown their membership in the months since receiving funding.
Winners in 2025 included the Swindon Storm American Football Club, the Sunderland Deaf Darts Society and Wigan-based Parkinson’s Ninja – a pioneering club using the power of taekwondo, rock-steady boxing and mixed martial arts to tackle Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s Ninja’s Paul Williams said the club is going through a transformational period in its short life to meet the increasing demands for its services from people who live with Parkinsons in the Wirral area.
‘Experts advise that undertaking regular intense exercise can help slow the progress of this illness. In the last two years we have seen class numbers double and we are increasing the weekly classes from two to four per week to meet this demand and give our members the level of exercise they need.’
‘The grants from Cash4Clubs have allowed us to expand our offering to meet this need, including fulfilling the cost of additional coaching fees as well as maintaining the existing classes. As such we can continue helping people with Parkinsons by giving them the physical and social activity they vitally need.’
Former Cash4Clubs winners Parkinson’s Ninja has expanded their offering since receiving the grant
Sport England earlier this year showed significant growth in the number of adults and disabled people playing sport, but said more work was needed in the most deprived areas. The UK Government has vowed to put tackling inactivity at the heart of its preventative health agenda.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, the Conservative Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee added: ‘I’ve seen first-hand the difference Cash4Clubs can make to the local community, and I would urge clubs to apply for the funding that Flutter is making available.
‘Physical activity is vital for fitness and well-being and it’s always great to see the wide range of community organisations that benefit from the Cash4Clubs programme.
‘I’ve seen first-hand the difference Cash4Clubs can make to the local community…and I hope this year’s programme is a huge success.’
Community clubs have until December 8 to apply for a grant through the Cash4Clubs website. This year’s programme is putting a particular emphasis on clubs that want to increase participation in sport in their local community, with the most recent round of grants attracting over 2,500 new adults to recipient clubs in 2025.
Flutter UKI chief executive Kevin Harrington said grassroots sports clubs are the beating heart of communities, but rising costs mean too many are now fighting to survive.
‘That’s why we’ve committed £500,000 through our Cash4Clubs programme this year – to give local organisations the support they need to keep doors open, inspire participation and provide opportunities for adults to stay active and engaged with sports and all of the additional benefits that brings with it.’
The majority of funding from last year’s programme supported underrepresented groups in sport, including people with disabilities (65 per cent), women over 18 (58 per cent), racially diverse communities (55 per cent), and people from the LGBTQ+ community (44 per cent).
Flutter UKI is working with leading UK charity Sported to deliver the Cash4Clubs programme. Applicants can apply via the Cash4Clubs website at www.cash-4-clubs.com.
The deadline for applications is December 8. For further information on Cash4Clubs please visit www.cash-4-clubs.com.
