Dalian Atkinson Legacy Fund Opens for Shropshire Youth Sport Projects

Community organisations in Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin can now apply for grants of £1,000 to £3,000 from the Dalian Atkinson Legacy Fund. The fund supports projects that help young people aged five to 25 take part in grassroots football and other sports.

Managed by Shropshire Community Foundation, the fund is named after the former Aston Villa striker, who grew up in Trench, Telford, and first learned his football at Trench Pool. A total of £18,000 is available in this round, and applications close on 14 December.

The money can go towards coaching, equipment, participation fees, transport and new community sports projects, with the aim of removing the barriers that stop young people taking part. The fund has four key priorities, so these are the areas clubs should highlight in their applications:

• access to sport for young people held back by financial hardship, rural isolation or other challenges
• inclusion, particularly for girls and young women, young disabled people and those facing social or economic disadvantage
• wellbeing and personal development, including confidence, social connections and positive behaviour
• leadership, through mentoring, coaching and volunteering opportunities

Projects must be completed within 12 months, with a short update after six months and a final report at the end. The fund doesn’t cover elite or professional development, commercial activities, retrospective costs or work already fully funded elsewhere. Individuals can’t apply directly, but organisations can apply to run projects that support individual young people.

For clubs in the area, this kind of funding gives them a chance to reach young people who might otherwise miss out. A few hundred pounds towards fees or transport can be the difference between a child trying a sport and never getting the chance. It’s a fitting way to remember a player whose own career started on a local pitch in Telford.

For more information, contact Shropshire Community Foundation on 01743 29 10 10 or info@shropshirecf.org.uk, or apply at https://www.shropshirecommunityfoundation.org.uk/open-grants/dalian-atkinson-legacy-fund/