Residents living in the London borough of Merton will be able to take advantage of more opportunities to get active and improve their wellbeing, thanks to a funding boost from Merton Council and administered in partnership with Clarion Futures, Clarion’s charitable foundation.
Merton Council has awarded 23 local organisations a share of £100,000 of the council’s grants to ensure they deliver sports and physical activities to residents from across the borough, as part of the council’s ambition to be London’s Borough of Sport.
The £100,000 pot, administered in partnership with Clarion Futures, will be split between the organisations with awards ranging from £750 to £5,000.
Just some of the initiatives, includes:
- Squash lessons in schools
- Exercise classes for older Muslim women
- Self-defence sessions for visually impaired children
- Community football for adults with disabilities
- Specially designed sport sessions for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Becoming a Borough of Sport means creating and supporting new ways for every Merton resident, no matter their background, to embrace their chosen way of moving more. To achieve this, the council is collaborating with professional clubs, sporting bodies and community organisations to put Merton on the map for sport.
Matt Parsonage, Head of Communities at Clarion Futures, said: “We’re delighted to have teamed up with Merton Council to run this fantastic new grants programme, which will provide so many opportunities for local residents.
“Over the summer and beyond, we look forward to seeing people taking inspiration from sporting events, including the Olympics, and making the most of these new projects to get active and improve their wellbeing.”
The bidding and fund distribution process was managed by Clarion Futures and decisions on funding were made by Merton Council and the Borough of Sport Advisory Group.
The funding was accessible to organisations large and small, with Merton leisure provider GLL / Better able to bid for funds to adapt its swimming offer for residents living with dementia.
