Commercial sponsorship helps provide sports coaching for 500,000 children for less that £10 each a year, research from Sportsmatch, the government’s sponsorship incentive scheme, shows.

A survey of more than 500 grass roots sports organisations has revealed that the matching funds from Sportsmatch has become a vital survival kit for sports clubs looking to increase sports participation among young people.

One in two sports organisers report that without Sportsmatch they would have been unable to attract commercial sponsorship and a further 20 per cent indicate that support would have been considerably reduced.

Two thirds of grass roots sport sponsors surveyed confirm this, saying that they would not contribute to community sport or would give significantly less without Sportsmatch funding.

Sportsmatch director, Mike Reynolds, said: ‘Without Sportsmatch and the sponsors it attracts, sports organisers just could not afford local community programmes to introduce youngsters to sport. For many schools, inner city areas and deprived groups sponsored sporting activity is the only real chance they have to participate.

‘Sportsmatch awards to community sport average around £8,000 and involve more than 1,100 participants. For just £9.57 this can deliver coaching and competition for a whole year. It has to be the best value of any government investment in sport because their money is more than doubled by sponsors.

Key findings:

52% of sports organisations would not attract sponsorship without Sportsmatch support. 225 would be ‘significantly less.’
64% of sponsors would not support sport at all or would give less without Sportsmatch incentive.
63% of sponsors will continue community sport sponsorship after initial involvement. Only 9% have no plans for further involvement.
Sportsmatch schemes represented 63% of companies’ sponsorship of sport.
Sportsmatch average award is £8,000 and brings in £9,000 sponsorship.
Average participation 1,118 of whom half are girls and 90% are under 18.

Sportsmatch facts:

Sportsmatch has generated £80 million for grass roots, community sport since 1992.
4,500 projects have been supported by 5,000 companies in 78 sports.
The £3.5 million annual budget is provided by Department for Culture, Media and Sport through Sport England.
Current, eligible applications for Sportsmatch support exceed available funds by £1 million a year.

For further information:

Mike Reynolds: 020 7273 1942
Martin Cannon: 01494 876542. Mobile: 077 755 18 501