Sport England's recently launched £10million Protecting Playing Fields initiative is set to allow communities to improve local playing fields or create new sports pitches as part of the wider Places People Play scheme. It will make funding available via five £2million rounds, awarding grants of between £20,000 - £50,000 to projects located throughout England. These will:

• Bring disused playing fields back into use
• Improve the condition of existing pitches (e.g. levelling, drainage, reseeding)
• Purchase new playing field land (not less than 0.2 hectares)
• Buy existing playing field land where there is a known threat, such as the expiry of a lease or a development proposal.

Up to 300 projects will receive funds for playing field improvements that will contribute to both retaining and increasing participants in sport across England at the local level.

At a recent Sport England workshop it was confirmed that an up-to-date playing pitch strategy (i.e., one produced within the previous three years) is a key requirement. For other applicants an up-to-date local needs assessment will be required.

As one of just two companies that are designated Sport England Framework partners for playing pitch strategies, and having delivered 80+ playing pitch strategies over the last few years, KKP is ideally placed to support this. We were also recently commissioned by Sport England to update its playing pitch methodology and produce new national guidance for the conduct of audits and development of strategies.

Claire Fallon, Principal Consultant at KKP, commented:
"From our experience undertaking a huge number of PPS and local needs assessments we regularly see pitches that are in need of financial investment to enhance quality, secure tenure or to be brought back into proper use. This funding is a great opportunity for partners to improve or protect pitches and. In turn, lead to more people playing sport."

The first, time-limited, funding round is now open. Our record supporting clients to secure inward investment and funding is excellent and we can support your funding application process, demonstrate how funds will be directed and help you to determine positive, valid outcomes.

Please contact Principal Consultant Claire Fallon via Claire.fallon@kkp.co.uk or telephone 0161 764 7040.

To find out more about the Protecting Playing Fields initiative visit Sport England's webpage http://www.sportengland.org/funding/protecting_playing_fields.aspx