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Sport is to be given another cash helping hand and lifeline from the Town Hall.
It looked as if vital sports support was going to be overlooked in this year's Torbay Council spending plans.
But local councillor and sports champion Darren Cowell, working with Sport Torbay, has managed to secure last-minute funding. Sport had always been seen as the 'Cinderella' when it came to local authority investment.
That changed dramatically after Covid and Lockdown when many, if not all, local sports clubs and organisations saw membership numbers plummet.
The then Liberal Democrat/Independent administration in charge of the council, decided to fund a 'Back to Sport' initiative aimed at helping clubs to persuade people back into physical activity.
Since September 2021 more than £90,000 has been handed out to sports across the board and the project has been hailed a success.
Clubs from the world of football, rugby, water sports, athletics, table tennis, cricket, gymnastics, swimming, archery, basketball, netball, cycling, BMX, boxing, bowls and hockey as well as healthy living groups and organisations for the disabled have all benefited and seen their futures secured.
A separate fund was also set up to help youngsters especially climb the 'elite' ladder in a 'Believe to Achieve' scheme which handed out almost £10,000 to boys and girls who are aspiring to do great things locally,. nationally and internationally in their fields which included athletes representing Great Britain.
Sport Torbay and Independent councillor Cowell and Sport Torbay worked together again when it was noticed there was no Back to Sport funding in the budget proposed this year by the Conservatives.
Now after behind-the-scenes lobbying and discussions, the Conservatives have agreed to keep the Back to Sport funding pot alive and re-introduce Believe to Achieve awith £75,000 back in the budget which was due to be ratified at a full council meeting on Thursday February 22.
Cllr Cowell said: "Following the publication of the Cabinet’s draft budget I was horrified that the funding provided to sports clubs in Torbay had been cut.
“Last year there was £75,000 in the budget for sports. Over recent years, working in partnership with Sport Torbay, money has been allocated to clubs to support their activities, in particular encouraging people to participate in sport and other leisure activities to support physical and mental health. Grants were also made available to individuals with significant potential to compete at the highest levels.
“There was a real concern that sport would yet again be neglected so as soon as I was aware of the cut, I raised the issue with Sport Torbay, and then lobbied, supported by my Independent colleague, the Liberal Democrat and Prosper Torbay groups, that the £75,000 should be reinstated. I’m pleased that in the final recommendations this has indeed been included.
"The continued support for many local amateur clubs is a real lifeline and it helps them to offer opportunities for people from some of our most deprived communities to participate in sports that they otherwise cannot afford."
Sport Torbay chairman Jim Parker said: "On behalf of all the sports clubs in the Bay I would just like to thank Darren for taking this up. The funding has proved to be an absolute lifeline to lots of clubs especially after Lockdown.
It has also shown that sport is no longer the Cinderella of the Bay and I'm glad to say that renewed relationship working in partnership with the powers-that-be will now continue. Everyone's a winner."
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