An update on the transformation of Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund into the new Together Fund and details how local Age UKs can access these new grants.
We wanted to provide an update on the grant funding available over the coming year to support local Age UKs to run physical activity projects in your communities. This update covers the transformation of Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund into the new Together Fund and details how local Age UKs can access this new grant.
Tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF)
Over the past 12-18 months, funding from Sport England’s Tackling Inequalities Fund (TIF) has been available to encourage older people to get active as they recover from the worst of the pandemic.
During 2021, as one of Sport England’s National Partners, the Age UK TIF programme made 41 grant awards of up to £6,000 to 38 local Age UKs for physical activity projects ranging from Tai Chi sessions to walking groups, with around 3,500 older people benefitting overall. Many other local Age UKs have also delivered physical activity projects funded through other Sport England National Partners such as their local Active Partnership and Versus Arthritis since the launch of TIF in summer 2020. It has been a tremendous effort and achievement by all those delivering these projects.
The Together Fund
The TIF programme has since transformed into the Together Fund grants programme with a further investment from Sport England. The Together Fund’s purpose, however, remains unchanged in aiming to provide a range of physical activity opportunities for local communities, based on local need, and specifically targeting people with long-term health conditions, those living with disabilities, culturally diverse communities, and lower socio-economic groups.
Age UK will not be awarding grants through the Together Fund, but all local Age UKs will instead be able to access Together Fund grants of up to £10,000 for new physical activity projects through other TIF National Partners, in particular Active Partnerships and Versus Arthritis. Find out all about these opportunities below:
Local Active Partnership
All local Age UKs can approach their local Active Partnership about Together Fund grant support, and those with an existing relationship with their local Active Partnership are especially encouraged to do so.
To discuss your project idea with your local Active Partnership, please contact them here.
Versus Arthritis
The Versus Arthritis Together Fund grants programme is now open for applications for new activities in England that specifically support people living with long-term health conditions to get active. An application for the fund will need to be submitted using their Grant Tracker System which can be found here. The fund will be open for applications for a limited period until the end of May 2022.
Versus Arthritis also has a new grants fund – Let’s Move Together Fund – open to local organisations in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland – supporting people with arthritis and other long-term health conditions to get active.
Further details of the Versus Arthritis Together Fund and Let’s Move Together Fund can be found here or by contacting physicalactivityVA@versusarthritis.org
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at TIF@ageuk.org.uk.