Chilcompton Sports FC have been awarded a £750 benefit in the form of a grant, which has been awarded to help aid the retention of adult male teams within grassroots football – this will enable Chilcompton Sports FC to sustain their adult sides over the coming years.
This season sees them retain two adult male sides, one in Step 7 of the football pyramid and a Reserve team in the Mid-Somerset League, in addition to this, a Development team has been introduced to enable the club’s youth side’s transition into adult football.
‘Retain the Game’ is a programme funded by the FA and delivered by the Football Foundation. It awards grants of £750 to existing grassroots football clubs to boost their financial sustainability and allow them to continue offering playing opportunities in organised football.
Funding has been targeted at clubs that operate with two or more open aged adult male teams who either currently hold the FA’s Adult Charter Standard Award or commit to attaining the award within the next footballing season. The strategy aims to encourage more clubs to strive for Adult Charter Standard, with research from the FA demonstrating increased levels of sustainability and player recruitment for teams with this award.
Notably, affordability has often been identified as a key barrier, so this grant will ease the financial burden placed on clubs and allow them to concentrate on providing access to competitive football. Money invested as part of Retain the Game will go towards covering core costs – including matchday and training facility hire, first aid training and new Nike kit and equipment through a bespoke voucher.
Tim Curtis, First Team Manager, said: “Even though we have a band of brilliant and dedicated volunteers, running football teams is a very expensive exercise. The Football Foundation in particular has been proactive through their ‘Grow the Game’ and ‘Retain the Game’ initiatives, which have proved to be a huge help in supporting the grassroots game and is very much appreciated by Chilcompton Sports FC.”