Water sports, swimming and boxing clubs are among the beneficiaries of a new grassroots sports fund established by Fibrus.

The Full Fibre broadband company had originally set aside £30k for the initiative but an additional £17k was added to the initial pot after applications flooded in this Spring, meaning more local communities have benefitted from funding in Cumbria.

Nearly 50 grants of up to £1,000 have now been given to a range of grassroots sports across Northern Ireland and Cumbria, as Fibrus continues to roll out in these regions.

In Cumbria, 20 grassroots sports clubs are set to benefit from the investment. These clubs, who are working with young people, will get a share of the cash, covering everything from rugby to golf, football to cricket, swimming to hockey, all funded through the Play It Forward fund.

Fibrus has already helped dozens of clubs in Northern Ireland and now Cumbrian clubs will also reap the benefits, while it continues bringing fibre broadband to thousands of rural homes.

Appleby Football and Squash Club will be able to allow more young people to take part in their activities thanks to their grant which will pay for additional goalposts for their junior teams. 

Martin Smith, Chairman of the club, said: “Our juniors have doubled over the past few years’ and we’ve now got ten teams so this grant will provide us with the facilities and equipment to support that.

“We’re in a rural community so that means we have kids from the town but also from the nearby villages and that makes us a real asset to local people.”

In the north of the county, Carlisle Youth Zone is benefitting from the scheme too by replacing old or broken equipment with more up to date resources, helping to make their ‘get active’ scheme more attractive to their young members.

Fiona Fergus, Business Support and Operations Manager, said: “We have a thousand young people coming through our doors every week across six nights, plus holiday clubs on top of that – so our sports equipment has a lot of wear and tear – you can’t imagine how many footballs we go through.

“This grant means we can refresh our equipment and keep offering sports activities, plus it’s given us the chance to get lower basketball hoops, making the activity more accessible to disabled and younger people too.”

Dominic Kearns, Chief Executive of Fibrus, said the “Play it Forward” fund reflects the company’s commitment to invest in communities beyond broadband.

“Our promise to connect communities on a local level also means encouraging children to go outside, make friends and have fun,” he said.

“The decision to increase the fund this summer will help nearly 50 grassroots clubs to thrive and make a lasting impact in their communities, empowering young people to excel in sport, while enjoying themselves.

After an overwhelming response from the community, we felt compelled to extend the fund to make a positive impact on the lives of kids.

“If the ‘Play it Forward’ sports fund helps young people in local clubs to pursue their sporting passions and fulfil their potential, then it will have done its job both here in Northern Ireland and in Cumbria.”

Other projects that will receive grants include Copeland Athletics Club, Wigton Hockey Club, Milnthorpe & District Junior Football Club, Ulverston Wolverines Rugby Club and Wattsfield Youth Football Club in Kendal.