BARLA offer support to Community Clubs

BARLA offer support to Community Clubs

BARLA have offered more potential support to Community Clubs during the current suspension of Rugby League activity, inviting them to apply for a share of an initial £50,000 fund.

Grants of between £100 and £1000 are available, with the fund to be administered jointly by BARLA and the RFL – and the potential for a further £25,000 to be released depending on the number of applications.

Clubs will be asked initially to complete a Club Health Check – which many have done already – and then to complete an application form providing an explanation of what the fund will be used for.

All clubs are encouraged to apply, although in the first instance these will be open to the BARLA member clubs.

Sue Taylor, the BARLA Chair, said: “We are aware that Community Clubs are experiencing some real financial difficulties whilst we are in this lockdown period.  BARLA are keen to help clubs during this time and are delighted to be able to offer support.”

Clubs are asked to email competitions@rfl.uk.com for an application form.  

BARLA’s offer comes with the Sport England Community Emergency Fund that was set up in the early stages of the Lockdown temporarily paused for new applicants, to allow Sport England to work through the backlog of those who have already applied.

The initial fund of £20m has been increased to £35m.

More than 60 Community Rugby League Clubs have already made successful applications for support.

BARLA will this weekend launch a new YouTube channel, drawing on the filming of historic Cup Finals by Alpha Photography, with the help of David Parkinson, a familiar voice and face to Our League viewers.

The channel will kick off on Saturday afternoon at 230pm, including coverage of the 2015 National Cup Final between Egremont Rangers and Sharlston Rovers at Fylde RUFC.

Steve Manning, the BARLA Vice Chair, said: “BARLA are pleased and excited about this new venture and hope that all rugby league fans of the amateur game will give the channel a try. There is a lot of unseen material by a large number of people which deserves to go out to a wider audience.”