Sports clubs in Leighton-Linslade receive help to beat pandemic

Over 3,000 people involved in sports ranging from football and rugby to swimming and canoeing have had activities severely curtailed by government restrictions designed to curb the spread of the Covid virus, and are having to balance reduced income with increased costs. Team and group sports have been particularly hard hit.

Now the Sports Council, a grass-roots organisation which helps a wide range of sporting activities in the community to grow, develop and flourish is offering a cash handout to affiliated clubs to help meet the additional costs of providing personal protective equipment and hand sanitisers.

Says Sports Council Co-Chair, Cyd Smith: “The council traditionally makes modest grants for equipment, coaching and other sporting needs, but with so many activities being affected by lockdown measures this year, it seems sensible to provide a little bit of funding that helps them with their additional costs, maintains a healthy attitude to combating the continuing virus threat, and at the same time, helps reduce the risk to the community at large.”

Affiliated clubs are being given the opportunity to be reimbursed up to £100 of the costs incurred so far in providing PPE and sanitizers, with the Sports Council continuing to monitor developments as the nation takes widespread measures to curb the rapidly rising infection rate.

Adds co-chair Gordon Fletcher: “Members of the Sports Council are fully involved in sports at grass roots level and are very much the ears and eyes of the sporting community, helping influence the decision makers to ensure Leighton-Linslade gets the support it needs helped by advice given by people with hands-on experience.

“We would very much welcome sport clubs not currently affiliated to the Sports Council to become involved to help them and an active and healthy community in these difficult times.

Sports currently affiliated to the council include athletics, badminton, canoeing, cricket, croquet, football, golf, hockey, cycling, rugby, swimming and tennis. The organisation is funded by the town council, with each club paying a small annual affiliation fee for representation on the Sports Council, which meets around four times a year to consider requests for grants and other activities.

Further information on the Sports Council is available on its website leightonlinsladesports.com