Matthew Roebuck is the officer with responsibility for Active Communities in Ceredigion. He supports Sports Clubs as they work towards a strong club structure and can also assist clubs as they look for funding through the Be Active Wales Fund and the Sport Wales Crowdfunder – A Place for Sport fund.
For sport to become a lifelong experience, it is essential that quality-sporting opportunities are available to all. In addition to playing an important role in developing healthy lifestyles, sport can promote economic and social well-being of communities. Community sports clubs play a vital role in contributing to such benefits and as such are pivotal in the development of sport.
Matthew’s role is to support and increase the number, range and quality of community based sports clubs.
Matthew can also support clubs by:
The Be Active Wales Fund offers grants from £300 to £50,000 for projects in Wales that intend to do at least one of the following:
For example, funding could be used to:
Crowdfunder is a way of raising money for good causes and ideas, while also helping your club or project to connect with your community.
On Crowdfunder’s website, people pledge money to support the cause or idea. In return, the person donating money can also get a reward, which can be a product, benefit, or service.
Sport Wales has partnered with Crowdfunder to support community clubs and activities to raise money for facility improvements.
The scheme is for not-for-profit clubs and community groups looking to raise money for ‘off-field’ improvements. For example:
The above examples are all ‘off-field’ improvements.
The Crowdfunder pilot scheme will run until April 2023.
Clubs and organisations set up a page on the Crowdfunder website, which asks people to pledge money to the cause or idea. These ideas would benefit the local community by improving facilities.
Crowdfunder provide support and advice, including a coach to guide you through the process where appropriate.
Your Crowdfunder project is assessed by Sport Wales, who can decide what level of match-funding you’ll be eligible for based on the information you’ve provided.
If the Crowdfunder page has reached certain criteria, Sport Wales will match fund between 30% and 50% of the total, up to a maximum of £15,000 match-funding.
The percentage Sport Wales will match- fund (30% - 50%) is determined based on a project’s potential to tackle inequalities.
Would you like to gain experience in coaching or even further your coaching qualifications?
If so there are a number of courses available for you!
Ceredigion Actif work with the various governing bodies of Sport and Sports Coach UK by organizing and running sports coach education courses. Whether you are an existing coach or starting as a beginner, there are introductory courses, as well as professional development courses available for you.
If you would like to speak to a member of our team about coach education please contact ceredigionactif@ceredigion.gov.uk.
Sport relies on volunteers heavily to carry on functioning. All clubs need volunteers at one time or another, not just participants. By being a volunteer in sport you are giving something back especially in some cases if you have been a participant in the past. You can volunteer as little or as often as you like!
Volunteering in something that you may not have done before is a good way to learn new skill. You may have to go on a course to learn or update new areas of expertise such as a First Aid, Disability Inclusion Training or Multi Skills.
By volunteering you automatically build your skills and experience; in many cases this experience will look good to potential employers. More and more people are being taken on at work because of experience they have gained in volunteering. Sport and physical activity is of course a very popular hobby for many and working in a sporting environment can build the skills you need.
If you are interested in finding out more about volunteering in your area please contact our team on ceredigionactif@ceredigion.gov.uk.
I love delivering the sessions and having FUN! I also ask the children for feedback regularly, so it is good to know that they have FUN too. I also enjoy planning the sessions so that the children can get the most out of the time we have
I look forward to volunteering each week and learning new skills. I find it extremely rewarding watching children’s faces light up when they take part in sport and more importantly having fun
Without volunteers my club simply wouldn’t exist, the time they give as little as 1 hr a week or 2 can have a huge impact on peoples lives, Thank You