William Colton Youth Sports Fund

The William Colton Sports Fund was established in 2012. It is named after William Colton, a self-made rope and twine manufacturer who established his business in the mid-19th century in Leicester. William eventually became a city alderman and the family business is now a packaging materials distributor based in Loughborough.

This fund is to support sports clubs, societies or groups that deliver sporting activities that benefit the physical and mental health of young people between the ages of 5 and 21.

The fund is being managed by Leicestershire & Rutland Community Foundation.

Please note: This fund does not currently support football, darts, equestrian or dance based projects.

Location and Organisation Priority:

• Sports Group and Organisations delivering sporting activities in areas of deprivation both urban and rural.
• Smaller organisations that have limited access to larger funds.
• Sports Group and Organisations delivering sporting activities across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland, with priority given to applications delivering in the borough of Charnwood.

Priority to fund:

• Equipment
• Training or coaching qualifications
• Volunteer out of pocket expenses e.g. travel cost
• Staffing, rental or hire costs that are clearly budgeted and only used for the project.

Size of Grants:

Grants are available across Leicestershire and Rutland from £1,000 up to £3,000 and must be spent within a year of receiving the grant.

Dates and Deadlines:

Fund opens: August 1st 2021

Fund closes: September 30th at 5pm (subject to early close if the fund is over-subscribed).

Decisions will be made at a panel and groups will be notified by December 2021.