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Sport England and JustGiving yesterday announced a campaign to bring an extra £22 million into grassroots sport over the next five years through a new partnership called JustGiving for Sports Clubs.

JustGiving for Sports Clubs will help sports club members to raise more money, and claim Gift Aid, using the same award-winning tools as the biggest charities in the UK. JustGiving have dropped their subscription fees – worth £180 per year for every Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) - so clubs can sign up today.

Ashley Cricket Club in Cheshire is one club that has already tried out JustGiving and in just two weeks, raised £480 in donations and received a further £140 in Gift Aid, with JustGiving looking after all the administration.

Former England cricket captain, Mike Gatting, today joined Sport England and JustGiving at Lords Cricket Ground to launch Just Giving for Sports Clubs.

Sport England’s Chief Executive, Jennie Price, said: “In this tough economic climate, we need to do everything possible to support the community sports clubs that do so much to get more people playing and enjoying sport. That’s why I’m urging sports clubs across the country to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.

"Thanks to JustGiving for Sports Clubs, community sport’s fabulous army of volunteers will now be able to spend more time on sport and less time on fundraising.”

JustGiving Managing Director Anne-Marie Huby said: “Most people who raise money on JustGiving each year do so through sport, and yet the sports clubs they belong to keep struggling with fundraising. This is our way of giving sports clubs a helping hand, and letting them enjoy the fundraising success that thousands of other small charities have achieved through JustGiving.”

The scheme is being delivered in association with CCPR, the alliance of governing bodies of sport, who will make sure that clubs who haven’t yet registered for CASC status can join almost 6,000 clubs already eligible for mandatory rate relief, the entitlement to claim Gift Aid and the right to sign up for JustGiving for Sports Clubs.

Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) estimates that only one in 10 CASCs currently take advantage of the right to claim Gift Aid, meaning that grassroots clubs are missing out on vital funds that they are fully entitled to claim. JustGiving for Sports Clubs makes claiming this much-needed money much more quick and efficient.

Tim Lamb, Chief Executive of CCPR, said:

“We hope that this change will not just enable existing clubs to claim Gift Aid more easily but that it will encourage other community sports clubs who have not yet registered as CASCs to join the scheme. There are thousands of clubs out there which are missing out on the benefits of CASC membership and in these tough economic times benefits like this can make all the difference.”

The benefits for clubs of JustGiving for Sports Clubs include:

• Money can be raised more easily and efficiently
• JustGiving make claiming Gift Aid easy, as they do all the administration for you, saving you time and money. Through Gift Aid, the Government will give you up to 28p for every £1 you raise
• Payments through JustGiving are weekly, so you know when they are coming, and can plan ahead
• Real people are on hand to give you and your supporters help and advice seven days a week.

Sports clubs that want to take advantage of this scheme should visit the JustGiving for Sports Clubs website.

JustGiving for Sports Clubs has the backing of the three main political parties. The Minister for Sport, Gerry Sutcliffe, said:

“Sports clubs are deserved good causes so it’s only right that they should be able to make use of the fundraising opportunities enjoyed by other charities. This fantastic new partnership between Sport England and JustGiving will ensure sports clubs can now afford to sign up to raising funds through the site, bumping up their donations by claiming Gift Aid. I’m sure this partnership will also help inspire thousands of people across the UK to play more sport - by setting themselves sporting challenges to raise money for their local clubs.”

Conservative Shadow Minister for Sport and the Olympics, Hugh Robertson, said:

“This is exactly the sort of initiative that will bring much needed income into our sports clubs at a time when many are facing economic difficulties. I could not support more strongly.”

Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Don Foster, said: “This is great news for grassroots sports clubs and the hard working volunteers that support them. At a time when every penny counts, we need innovative ideas to help clubs raise extra funding. I urge all sports clubs to both take advantage of CASC status and reap the benefits of this new scheme.”

To register for JustGiving for Sports Clubs go to www.justgiving.com/sportsclubs

Notes to Editors

Sport England

Sport England invests National Lottery and Exchequer funding in organisations and projects that will grow and sustain participation in grassroots sport and create opportunities for people to excel at their chosen sport.

Sport England is committed to creating a world-leading community sport system, and has set specific and measurable targets to achieve by 2012/13:

• One million people doing more sport
• A 25% reduction in the number of 16- to 18-year-olds who drop out of at least five key sports
• Improved talent development systems in at least 25 sports
• A measurable increase in people’s satisfaction with their experience of sport
• A major contribution to the delivery of the five hour sports offer for children and young people.

JustGiving

JustGiving is the world’s leading online service for charity fundraising. To date over 11m users have collected £637m for charities in the UK and the US.

JustGiving is a social business that re-invests its profits for the benefit of charities, developing new and innovative products that help charities raise more money and attract new supporters.

The company is the UK’s largest agency for the reclaim of Gift Aid. It has reclaimed over £125m in Gift Aid to date, taking the full responsibility for its collection on behalf of charities.

The JustGiving website enables people to create a personal fundraising page to raise money for any member charity, raising an average of £600 per page, or approximately 30% more than they would otherwise through traditional methods.

CCPR

CCPR is the alliance of the governing and representative bodies of sport and recreation in the UK. It represents every activity from football to folkdance, and rugby to rounders through its 300 plus members. In turn they represent some 150,000 clubs and 8 million regular participants.

CCPR exists to give sport an independent voice and to provide its members with key services and support in order to help improve their performance.