The NFL Foundation UK, in conjunction with the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, is looking to create new partnerships in the London area by inviting community sports organisations to apply for grant funding.
Supported by Beyond Sport, the Foundation is asking groups to apply for grants of up to £80,000 over two years.
Founded in 2021, the NFL Foundation UK is the charitable arm of the NFL within the UK. It aims to tackle inequality and lack of opportunity faced by young people aged 11-20 in underserved communities by providing grants, training and equipment to local community organisations, enabling young people to access activities and support to help them realise their potential.
The NFL and the Mayor of London have committed a combined £1 million to the NFL Foundation UK’s work in the capital city over a two-year period, from April 2022 to March 2024.
“We are very excited to begin this grant application process,” said Will Stone, Head of CSR, NFLUK. “It represents an important landmark in putting our vision in place and delivering on our mission. We look forward to helping interested groups through the process and working with many of them going forward.”
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “This is a hugely exciting scheme that will use the power of sport to bring together young people from different backgrounds – particularly women and girls and those most in need. Not only will this initiative help young Londoners develop new skills and gain confidence, it will also improve their mental and physical wellbeing.”
The grants will help organisations to build on their existing sport and non-sport delivery and use NFL Flag (non-contact American football) as a tool to further engage young people.
“The support from this programme will allow chosen organisations to harness the uniqueness of the sport to bring people together in a positive and supportive environment, strengthen our communities and improve the physical and mental health of young Londoners,” said Stone. “In addition, they will join a network of existing NFL Flag providers across London who are helping to enhance the lives of many young people.”
In addition to the funding, the NFL will work with the chosen organisations to understand any additional training and equipment needs they may have to support the delivery of NFL Flag as part of this programme.
To be eligible for a partnership with NFL Foundation UK and Beyond Sport all partners must:
- Be a registered charity or Community Interest Company (CIC)
- Have access to a suitable, safe delivery space for the duration of the project (minimum 5-a- side football pitch dimensions)
- Have been in operation for at least two years
- Deliver activities at a location(s) within Greater London
- Be experienced in delivering sport initiatives that contribute to social change
- Have access to groups of young people aged 11-20
- Be able to deliver an NFL Flag project on a regular basis, at least once per week
- Have an adequate Safeguarding Policy in place
- Be operational across the period of the grant
- Provide a budget overview detailing how funds will be used. Funds granted must not exceed 50% of the organisation’s total annual revenue
To express interest in applying for a grant, groups should visit: https://beyondsport.smapply.io/prog/nflfoundationuk
Anyone with questions or wanting an informal chat about the programme and its suitability for specific organisaitons can contact the Beyond Sport team at: programs@beyondsport.org.
More information about the NFL Foundation UK can be found here:https://www.nflfoundationuk.org/
–ENDS–
