To ask the Minister of Culture, Arts and Leisure what support and funding opportunites her Department can offer to existing grassroots level sports initiatives wishing to expand.

The need to develop and prioritise sport at grassroots level is recognised within my Department’s Strategy for Sport, Sport Matters. Sport NI, an arms length body of my Department, works with a range of organisations that seek to provide and develop grassroots sports opportunities in sports clubs, schools and community/ voluntary organisations.

Sport NI provides a range of support services and resources to assist those groups wishing to expand, which includes the provision of funding through the Active Awards for Sport programme. This small grants programme is primarily aimed at providing grassroots support to community based sport and is due to re-open for applications at the end of March next year. The priorities are sports clubs, community groups and governing bodies of sport, especially those based in areas of greatest need.

Sport NI also assists in the development of grassroots sports clubs through the provision of coach development workshops; the implementation of the quality standard for clubs, Clubmark NI, the introduction of a new Equality Standard, and a Code of Ethics and Good Practice for Children’s Sport.

In addition, my Department has provided funding of four point five million which has been distributed equally between the Ulster Council GAA, the Ulster Branch Irish Rugby Football Union and the Irish Football Association over a three year period up until 31st March 2015. This funding was for a programme to promote equality, tackle poverty and social exclusion through sport. Grassroots level sports clubs and communities will benefit from part of this funding.

I have asked my officials and Sport NI to explore what other funding opportunities may be available for grassroots sports in the future.