Funding update – how are grants being used?
Written By SPFL Trust Media Centre
Three months after clubs – and then community trusts – were awarded funding totalling £2.484m we can reveal that so far, at least £1,161,172 has been spent.
When charities provide grants, it’s a standard condition of the award that the grantee reports regularly, evidences spending and records impact.
In the case of SPFL clubs (42) and community trusts (30) they have to file four sets of reports in the period after receiving their award through until Christmas.
Some organisations have indicated they will spend their grants slower than this, and so in that instance the reporting process will continue into 2021.
As you will probably remember, these grants have been funded by James Anderson and a second donor who asked us to protect their anonymity.
James donated £3,125,000 inclusive of gift aid. The second donor has committed £1.25m inclusive of gift aid, of which of which £625,000 has been received to date, as planned. A second donation will be made in June 2021.
So, what is the breakdown of grants to community trusts and associated SPFL clubs to date?
Up to today (15 October) October, £2,720,400 has been or will be paid out from the £3.75m currently available. This is comprised of:
- £2.1m – Covid-19 Club Crisis Fund
- £300,000 – Covid-19 Community Trust Crisis Fund
- £80,400 – Covid-19 Community Crisis Fund for pandemic related activity
- £348,000 – SPFL Trust Trophy Club and Community Grants pot and sponsorship fee (for 2021-22)
In addition, £125,000 will be used to support existing SPFL Trust programmes 4-4-2 Reading Challenge, Festive Friends, and A-Team; £220,000 has been set aside for the new Scottish Football United project, which will include a new crisis fund (beyond Covid-19).
Further work to identify the best ways of providing sustainable support which promotes capacity to help communities is being identified. About £600,000 is being held over for use over the next three years for direct project delivery.
What about the expenditure so far?
Up to this point, the SPFL Trust has managed three different funds. Let’s take a look at them…
SPFL Trust Covid-19 Club Crisis Fund – £2.1m
- £2.1m paid out in £50,000 grants to all 42 SPFL clubs
- Club expenditure at 7 October – £1,024,682 (still to be spent: £1,075,318)
Please note:
- Where a club has not returned their funding update, the SPFL Trust is working to secure this information. It does not indicate anything untoward
- Where a club has not spent any money yet they will have discussed this with the SPFL Trust. Some intend to spread spending throughout the course of 2020-21
SPFL Trust Covid-19 Community Crisis Fund – £300,000
- £300,000 paid out in £10,000 grants to all 30 qualifying SPFL club-associated community trusts
- £136,490 has been spent so far at 7 October (still to be spent: £163,510)
SPFL Trust Covid-19 Action Fund – £84,000
- 23 associated community trusts or SPFL clubs (ATCs) recently received grants totalling £84,000
- Reporting on these grants will follow in due course
- These grants were competitively awarded based on criteria from two funding streams to either retroactively fund work that directly responded to the pandemic or to fund planned work
- Stream A featured activity which supported online/digital transformation, social interaction and volunteering. ATCs who chose Stream A were able to apply to all three parts of this fund
- Stream B was based on an innovation fund, where ATCs could demonstrate ‘significant impact’ through a new idea
