Government announces boost for women's sport in latest round of Sport Winter Survival Package

Headlines:

• £2.25 million confirmed for Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship
• £4.2 million to netball, which has allowed the Vitality Netball Superleague to begin
• Combined £4 million funding also confirmed for badminton and basketball
• Women's sport to be prioritised for 250,000 free Covid-19 testing kits being made available to elite sports, worth £1.5 million
• Initial 19 National League Step 1-2 clubs to be offered loans worth up to £5.4 million

The Culture Secretary has announced the latest tranche of funding from the Government's Sport Winter Survival Package, providing a boost to women's sport.

The Women's Super League and FA Women's Championship will receive a combined £2.25 million of grant support for essential league costs, in addition to a proportion of 250,000 free Covid-19 lateral flow testing kits being made available by the Government to elite sports, with women's sport designated as a priority.

In netball, England Netball and the Vitality Netball Superleague will receive a total of £4.2 million in grants, which has already provided the expanded league with the confidence to start its 2021 season on 12 February.

In basketball, British Basketball League clubs - including Women's British Basketball League clubs - will receive £2.5 million in grants and loans, whilst Basketball England will receive a £200,000 grant.

Badminton England will also receive a grant worth £1.3 million. The grant funding for England Netball, Basketball England and Badminton England is designed to cover essential costs to ensure the survival of these organisations.

This is the second tranche of funding to be announced from the Government's £300 million Sport Winter Survival Package that is focused on helping those major spectator sports severely impacted by coronavirus restrictions survive the winter.

It follows the first announcement in January confirming that Steps 3-6 of the National League system will receive up to £10 million to protect the immediate future of approximately 850 clubs over the winter period.

Submissions for support have been made from individual sports to an independent decision-making Board, supported by Sport England.

(Source & Image): Gov.uk)