AFTER receiving almost 2,000 entries submitted over the summer, Cash 4 Clubs was pleased to award a £1,000 grant to members of Budehaven Table Tennis Club (TTC), following its 11th annual campaign, which provides grassroots sports clubs with grants of £500 right up to £1,000.

The charitable scheme was launched in 2008 and is open to all local, grassroots sports clubs in the UK and has provided over £370,000 worth of financial support to local sports clubs to date. The scheme has been designed to help small clubs to fund repairs, purchase new equipment, transport to competitions and generally contributing towards the future sustainability of these vital clubs.

After applying for a grant via the Cash 4 Clubs website, members of Budehaven TTC will be spending the well-deserved cash on much needed enhanced facilities and coaching.

Club secretary, Dave Salisbury, was delighted after receiving the news that their club was amongst the 2019 winners.

He said: “Running a local sports club is extremely rewarding, but doesn’t come without its difficulties. We often have to rely on old or second-hand equipment and favours from the community, so to receive a grant like this helps us to stand on our own two feet and offer the best support, training and equipment for our members.

“It’s unbelievable that out of the 1,300 entries, we were chosen to receive this amazing grant, which really will change the lives of our members. We plan to spend it on improved equipment and coaching provision which will benefit each and every member of our club.”

“The application for Cash 4 Clubs was really simple, we simply submitted a written entry, which meant we could get all of our requirements across, as well as showcase our current facilities.”

Naomi Totten, spokesperson for Paddy Power Betfair, said: “We’re proud to be supporting grassroots clubs across the UK for the 11th consecutive year through our Cash 4 Clubs initiative. Sport is the lifeblood of our industry and we have seen first-hand over the last decade how important local-level investment is in driving participation, developing talent and growing new and existing sports. We hope that this year’s grants are similarly impactful and help to ensure the on-going sustainability of community-led sports clubs for all abilities.”