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Sport England launches £10m rural programme
Sport England has set up a £10m investment fund as part of efforts to improve sporting provision for people living in rural areas.
The focus on rural communities is the first of Sport England's "themed rounds" of funding, as it tackles issues raised by the Active People Survey, published in December 2008.
The minimum grant available from the pot of money will be £10,000, but according to a spokesperson, Sport England is looking to favour "high value, high impact projects" to maximise the effect of the support.
"People in rural communities are the focus of the first round (of themed funding) because we know they face particular barriers to participating in sport, such as reduced choice in the sports available to them and transportation issues getting to and from facilities," he said.
"We know that there are specific challenges for organisations and communities delivering sport in rural England.
"Small and declining local populations and higher costs, for instance, can hinder sustainable local sporting provision."
The funding will be made available for applications on 1 April.
The second round of themed funding will be announced by 1 September 2009.