Sport & Physical Activity172+ Funders

Sport & Physical Activity Grants & Funding

There are 172 UK funders offering grants for sport & physical activity charities, with typical awards from £100 to £500,000.

Sport and physical activity grants support charities and community organisations using sport as a tool for positive change. Funding comes from dedicated sports bodies — Sport England, sportscotland, Sport Wales, and Sport Northern Ireland — as well as from trusts, foundations, and corporate funders. Projects range from grassroots participation programmes and facility improvements to elite athlete development and sport-for-development initiatives. Many funders in this space focus on using sport to achieve broader social outcomes: reducing youth crime, improving mental health, building community cohesion, and tackling health inequalities. Women's and girls' participation, disability sport, and engaging inactive populations are current priorities. Capital grants are available for facilities — pitches, courts, equipment, and changing rooms — from several dedicated programmes. The emphasis across the sector is on sustainability, inclusion, and reaching those who face the greatest barriers to participation. Community sports clubs, coaching programmes, and outdoor activity projects all attract strong funding support.

Quick Stats

Total Funders
172
Grant Range
£100 - £500,000
Open to Applications
62%

Sport & Physical Activity Funders

172 funders found

A J Bell Trust

The A J Bell Trust, established in 2011 by Andy Bell, founder and CEO of AJ Bell plc, is a UK registered charity dedicated to supporting disadvantaged...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £100,000

A Smile for a Child

Open

A Smile for a Child is a UK-based charitable grant-maker dedicated to improving the lives of disabled and disadvantaged children and young people by r...

Grant Range
£100 - £2,000

Abstract Foundation

The Abstract Foundation is a UK-registered charitable incorporated organisation established in October 2021, chaired by trustee Mark Lewis Glatman alo...

Grant Range
£20,000 - £500,000

Active Essex Foundation

Open

Active Essex Foundation is an independent charity established in 2016 to tackle health and social inequalities in Essex, Southend, and Thurrock throug...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Active Travel England

Open

Active Travel England champions walking, wheeling, and cycling as the preferred everyday travel modes in England, rooted in values of inclusivity, inn...

Grant Range
£15,000 - £100,000

Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust

Open

The Alan Boswell Group Charitable Trust, established in May 2019 by the Norwich-based independent insurance broker and risk management group, channels...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £25,000

Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation

Open

The Alfred Dunhill Links Foundation, established in June 2011 as the official charity arm of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship golf tournament, ch...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £25,000

Army Rugby Union Trust

Open

The Army Rugby Union Trust (ARU Trust), founded in 1906 and formally incorporated as a charity, is the principal charitable body dedicated to promotin...

Grant Range
£500 - £20,000

Arsenal Foundation

The Arsenal Foundation, established in 2012 as the charitable arm of Arsenal Football Club, harnesses the club's global reach and local presence in No...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £30,000

ASCB Charitable Fund

The ASCB Charitable Fund (charity number 1123854), established in 2009 through the transfer of assets from the earlier ASCB Trust Fund, is the British...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £100,000

Astor Foundation

The Astor Foundation, a UK-based grant-making charity established in 1964 by the Astor family, advances medical research in its broadest sense while s...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Barbara and Derek Calrow Charitable Foundation

The Barbara and Derek Calrow Charitable Foundation, a grant-making charitable incorporated organisation established in June 2018 by philanthropists Ro...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £10,000

Barbarians Rugby Charitable Trust

Open

The Barbarians Rugby Charitable Trust, established in 2004 by the iconic Barbarian F.C., channels rugby's values of teamwork, inclusion, leadership, a...

Grant Range
£2,000 - £12,000

Barnet Recreational Trust

The Barnet Recreational Trust, established on 21 December 1982 as a grant-making charitable trust, focuses exclusively on delivering public benefit wi...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Bathgate Charitable Trust

Bathgate Charitable Trust, established by trust deed on 1 June 1979, is a longstanding regional funder dedicated to enabling UK charities in Merseysid...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £25,000

Betty Riseley Trust for Children

Open

The Betty Riseley Trust for Children embodies compassion, community spirit, and inclusivity to enrich lives of children and young people under 18 in S...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £10,000

Beyond Sport Foundation

Open

Beyond Sport Foundation, established in 2008 as a UK-headquartered international charity, harnesses the power of sport to drive positive social change...

Grant Range
£40,000 - £50,000

Billmeir Charitable Trust

The Billmeir Charitable Trust, an unincorporated UK charity established in 1956 by shipping magnate Jack Billmeir, upholds his philanthropic legacy th...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

Birmingham International Airport Community Trust Fund

Open

Birmingham International Airport Community Trust Fund partners with local authorities and community representatives to mitigate social, environmental,...

Grant Range
£500 - £3,000

Bluespark Foundation

Open

BlueSpark Foundation, a registered UK charity established in 2016, supports the education and holistic development of children and young people aged 5...

Grant Range
Up to £2,000

Boris Karloff Charitable Foundation

Open

The Boris Karloff Charitable Foundation, established in 1985 by Evelyn Karloff in memory of the iconic actor Boris Karloff, is a UK grant-making trust...

Grant Range
£500 - £7,000

Bransford Trust

Open

The Bransford Trust, an independent grant-making charity established in 2004 by the Kinnear family—led by Colin Kinnear OBE—focuses on advancing educa...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

Brian Leslie Racher 2004 Charitable Trust

Open

The Brian Leslie Racher 2004 Charitable Trust promotes diverse charitable purposes enhancing community welfare for local residents, embodying values o...

Grant Range
£250 - £16,901

Bridge House Trust - Non-Ecclesiastical

Open

Bridge House Trust - Non-Ecclesiastical, also known as Barker Bridge House Trust - Non-Ecclesiastical Branch, is a historic local charity registered i...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Broughton Community and Sports Association

Open

Broughton Community and Sports Association (BCSA) is a community-led grantmaker dedicated to advancing wellbeing, physical activity, and social cohesi...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Bruce Wake Charity

Open

Bruce Wake Charity, founded and endowed in 1992 by Bruce Wake—a wheelchair user with motor neurone disease—exists to relieve and assist disabled peopl...

Grant Range
Up to £5,000

Buffini Chao Foundation

The Buffini Chao Foundation, established in 2005 as a family philanthropic vehicle by Sir Damon Buffini and Lady Debbie Buffini, is a UK-registered ch...

Grant Range
£3,000 - £50,000

Castle Cavendish Foundation

Open

Castle Cavendish Foundation is a Nottingham-based registered charity and social impact company, established over 15 years ago, dedicated to enhancing ...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £5,000

Chance to Shine Foundation Ltd

Chance to Shine Foundation Ltd, a UK-based charity established in 2005 from the Cricket Foundation (founded 1981), is dedicated to providing all young...

Grant Range
£40,000 - £400,000

Charities of Thomas Wade and Others

Open

Charities of Thomas Wade and Others, known as Wade's Charity, is a historic Leeds-based grant-making trust established in 1530 by Thomas Wade during H...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £15,000

Chess Trust

Open

The Chess Trust, a UK-registered charity established in 2015 with initial funding from a major bequest by Richard Haddrell and input from the English ...

Grant Range
£500 - £20,000

Clover Trust

The Clover Trust is a longstanding grant-making charity registered in England and Wales (charity number 213578), established by a declaration of trust...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation 2014

Open

Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation 2014 serves as trustee for CISWO, a national charity dedicated to advancing health, relieving poverty and ha...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Coalfields Regeneration Trust

Open

Coalfields Regeneration Trust, established to regenerate former coalfield communities ravaged by mine closures, drives social justice, community wealt...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £25,000

Colonel W H Whitbread Charitable Trust

The Colonel W H Whitbread Charitable Trust is a longstanding UK charitable trust honoring its namesake's philanthropic legacy, with a core mission to ...

Grant Range
From £500

Congleton Inclosure Trust

Open

Congleton Inclosure Trust, established in 1795 by Act of Parliament through the enclosure of local wastelands, is a longstanding charitable trust dedi...

Grant Range
£200 - £3,000

Conway Charitable Foundation

The Conway Charitable Foundation, established in 2013 as a UK-registered grant-making charity (Charity Commission no. 1151838), supports a broad spect...

Grant Range
£1,000 - £25,000

Coram's Fields Sports and Recreation

Coram's Fields Sports and Recreation, a Charitable Incorporated Organisation established in May 2021, builds on nearly a century of the historic Coram...

Grant Range
£50,000 - £200,000

Corton Hill Trust

Open

The Corton Hill Trust is an independent grant-making charity established in December 2019, dedicated to advancing general charitable purposes by enhan...

Grant Range
£5,000 - £50,000

CSDS Foundation

Open

The CSDS Foundation is a grant-making charity established in 2016 by North London residents, including its current trustees, to support amateur sports...

Grant Range
From £5,000

Cubc Rowing Charitable Fund

The CUBC Rowing Charitable Fund, established in March 2021 and registered as a UK charity in July 2021, is dedicated to advancing the amateur sport of...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Cymdeithas Elusennol Ynys Mon

Open

Cymdeithas Elusennol Ynys Môn is an independent, community-led charitable foundation established in 2017 as the successor to the Isle of Anglesey Char...

Grant Range
£300 - £50,000

Dan Maskell Tennis Trust

Open

The Dan Maskell Tennis Trust, established in 1997 and named after the legendary 'Voice of Wimbledon' Dan Maskell, is a UK charity dedicated to advanci...

Grant Range
Up to £1,600

Denise Coates Foundation

Open

The Denise Coates Foundation, established in 2012 by Denise Coates CBE, founder of bet365, is a major UK philanthropic trust dedicated to driving sign...

Grant Range
From £20,000

Department for Culture, Media & Sport

Open

The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), a UK government ministerial department established in 1997, champions economic growth, social cohesi...

Grant Range
Contact funder

Douglas Bader Foundation

Open

The Douglas Bader Foundation embodies the resilience and determination of Sir Douglas Bader, championing the physical, mental, and spiritual welfare o...

Grant Range
£500 - £2,000

Dragon Christmas Charity Sale

The Dragon Christmas Charity Sale is a longstanding annual fundraising event tied to Oxford's Dragon School, dating back to at least 1944 and formally...

Grant Range
£4,000 - £6,000

Dreamchasing

Dreamchasing is a UK-registered grant-making charity established on 26 January 2007, chaired by Sir Ronald Dennis CBE with trustees including Francesc...

Grant Range
£10,000 - £100,000

Duke of Northumberland's Charity

Open

The Duke of Northumberland's Charity, registered under number 278584 and overseen by the Duke of Northumberland, is an estate-rooted philanthropic tru...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Elsie Davis Trust

The Elsie Davis Trust is a grant-making charity registered in England and Wales (number 1193055), established in 2020 with a significant endowment fro...

Grant Range
£500 - £5,000

Showing 50 of 172 sport & physical activity funders

Tips for Applying to Sport & Physical Activity Funders

Align your application with Sport England's Uniting the Movement framework, which prioritises connecting communities, positive experiences for children, active environments, and tackling health inequalities through movement. Reference Active Lives Survey data to demonstrate participation levels and inactivity rates in your target community, showing the specific gap your project addresses. Focus your application on engaging inactive populations rather than serving those who already participate in sport — funders in this space are shifting resources toward the people who face the greatest barriers to being active. Describe your behaviour change approach, referencing models such as COM-B or the transtheoretical model to show that your programme is designed around how people actually change habits rather than assuming that providing activities is sufficient. Address safeguarding in sport explicitly, detailing your policies, training, and culture around protecting participants, particularly children and vulnerable adults. Present sustainability plans that show how participation will continue beyond the funded period — through volunteer coaching capacity, club development, or integration with existing community sport infrastructure. Strong applications demonstrate that your project creates lasting behavioural change rather than short-term participation spikes, and show how you will measure physical activity levels alongside broader social outcomes.

Frequently Asked Questions about Sport & Physical Activity Grants

What grants are available for sport & physical activity charities in the UK?

There are 172+ UK funders offering grants for sport & physical activity charities. These range from small community grants under £5,000 to large multi-year funding programmes exceeding £100,000. Use Fundermatcher to find the best match for your organisation.

How much funding can sport & physical activity organisations get?

Grant amounts for sport & physical activity charities vary widely depending on the funder and project. Typical grants range from £1,000 to over £100,000. Many funders offer multi-year funding for established organisations with a strong track record.

How do I apply for sport & physical activity grants?

Start by identifying funders whose priorities align with your sport & physical activity work. Fundermatcher matches your charity's profile against 172+ funders to find the best fit. Our AI assistant can then help you draft compelling grant applications.

How to Find the Right Sport & Physical Activity Funders

1

Describe Your Charity

Tell us what your charity does, who you help, and where you work. Takes 30 seconds.

2

Get Matched Instantly

Our AI ranks all 172 sport & physical activity funders by how well they fit your specific work.

3

Write Winning Applications

Our AI assistant helps you draft and refine grant applications tailored to each funder.

Which of These 172 Funders Are Right for You?

Browsing 172 funders manually takes hours. Describe your charity once and get your top matches ranked by compatibility — in seconds.

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