Community sports clubs to get £34,000 to help increase activity

07 Feb 2025

Grassroots sports clubs are being given a £34,000 boost by West Suffolk Council to help more people in their communities participate, aiding their health and wellbeing.

A total of 43 community clubs across the district catering from everything from football to tchoukball, and bowls to junior triathlon training, and runners to anglers are set to benefit from grants from West Suffolk Council’s Capital Sports Fund which can be used to buy kit and equipment.

A brand new Pickleball Club is to be set up at the village community centre in Kedington after the community association there secured £550 for equipment.

Members of the table tennis club in Bury St Edmunds, will be able to practice their return against a robotic arm, with the ace piece of kit served up thanks to a £899 grant from the fund.

Clare Bowls Club meanwhile will be taking to the green with new equipment following a successful application for £600.

New sticks, guards, balls, bibs and goalie kit will be bought by Haverhill Hockey Club thanks to its £1,000 grant.

And the Jets Basketball Club in Mildenhall will be on point after slam dunking a £1,000 grant for a new scoreboard.

Over in Newmarket the Joggers Athletics Club will put just under £700 towards walkie talkies which its marshals will use to support its series of events.

New kit including football mannequins will help Red Lodge Youth Football Club under 14s perfect their free kicks after they scored £1,000 for fresh equipment.

And Bardwell was among a number of cricket teams to benefit from funds to boost participation in the sport across West Suffolk.

Cllr Ian Shipp, Cabinet Member for Leisure at West Suffolk, said: “The aim of these grants is to support the growth of these grassroots clubs across the district so they can take on new members, create additional teams and alongside increased participation, enhance their offer to their local communities.

“Sports participation can have a massively positive impact on people’s physical and mental health. It helps people stay active, form friendships, reduces feelings of isolation and loneliness and is part of the Council’s strategic priority for Thriving Communities.”  

Grants of between £200 and £1000 were available to support community clubs to help with new equipment and kit so they can grow membership, create additional teams and encourage greater activity and participation in our communities. They were funded using £34,053 from money allocated to West Suffolk Council from Central Government under the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).

The grants were subject to UKSPF criteria. While 43 applications were successful, another 28 did not meet the criteria or were for clubs outside of West Suffolk or equipment that was not directly sports related. Wherever possible the council will be directing those applicants in the West Suffolk area to other more appropriate sources of funding including within and external to the council. 

Below is a list of the groups across West Suffolk set to receive a grant under the Capital Sports Fund for various bits of equipment.

1. Bardwell Cricket Club
2. British Sugar Table Tennis Club, Bury St Edmunds
3. Bury St Edmunds Bulldogs Basketball, Culford
4. Bury St Edmunds Cricket Club
5. Bury St Edmunds Rugby Club
6. Bury St Edmunds Table Tennis Club
7. Bury St Edmunds Tchoukball Club
8. Clare Bowls Club
9. Clare Lions
10. Coldham Hall Football Club, Hawstead
11. Coney Weston Swan Bowls Club
12. Elveden Cricket Club
13. Ethelwold Tri, Culford
14. Haverhill Cricket Club
15. Haverhill Hockey Club
16. Haverhill Town Football Club
17. Horringer and Barrow Cricket Club
18. Hundon Football Club
19. Ickworth Park Primary School Football Club
20. Jetts Netball Club, Bury St Edmunds
21. Kedington Community Association
22. Lakenheath Youth Football Club
23. Lark Angling and Preservation Society
24. Mildenhall Cricket Club
25. Mildenhall and District Swimming Club
26. Mildenhall Jets Basketball Club
27. Mildenhall Town Youth Football Club
28. Moreton Hall Netball Club
29. Moreton Hall Youth Football Club under 12s Wolves
30. Newmarket Joggers Athletics Club
31. Pakenham Village Hall and Playing Fields Association
32. Red Lodge Youth Football Club under 14s
33. Sebert Wood Primary School Saturday Year 2 Football Team, Bury St Edmunds
34. Sporting 87 Football Club, Bury St Edmunds
35. Stanton Community Football Club (Junior Reds)
36. St Edmundsbury School Football Club, Bury St Edmunds
37. St Phillips Newmarket ABC Badminton Club, Newmarket
38. Thurlow Tennis Club, Great Thurlow
39. Tuddenham Bowls Club
40. Tuddenham Cricket Club
41. West Row Bowls Club
42. West Suffolk Wheelers Cycling Club, Bury St Edmunds
43. Worlington Cricket Club

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