Sport England has launched a new fund which aims to support small local sport facilities beyond initial investments it makes.

The Community Asset Fund will replace the body’s Inspired Facilities investments, and will incorporate capital funding alongside revenue funding.

This means, for example, that if a small sports centre bids for funding for a new changing room, Sport England may also provide funding for a new employee to come and open the facility each morning, or for a new coach.

“They’ll get a lump sum, so when they get an award we’ll pay it down as they spend the money – exactly as we do now,” Sport England chief executive Jennie Price told Sports Management. “Now the Community Asset Fund will be there to maintain the things that we funding with capital finance.”

Price added that the strategic investments Sport England makes for big facilities will remain the same in principle, although the quango “will be even more insistent on multi-sports venues wherever they make sense and co-location with GPs and libraries”.

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