Back to News >

The Sirius Minerals Foundation has announced the latest round of successful applicants in its third year of grant giving, who will share almost £52,000.

A total of 56 not-for-profit sporting clubs and groups from across Redcar, East Cleveland and the Whitby and Scarborough areas have each been awarded small grants of up to £1,000 to purchase kit, equipment or invest in training that will support the participation of local people in amateur sport.

Groups have also had the opportunity to apply for capital grants of between £20,000 and £50,000 to create new or improve existing sports facilities in the area, the successful recipients of which are expected to be announced in due course.

David Archer, Chairman of the Sirius Minerals Foundation commented:

“We received a great deal of interest and enquiries from local sports clubs and societies in previous rounds, and we want to ensure that we meet local demand and needs.  Amateur sports clubs are an important part of the social fabric of the area – they can make such a positive difference to people, helping them lead healthier, more fulfilled lives.

“The Board was blown away by the volume of high-quality applications for a vast range of sports.  During the very tough selection process, it sought to achieve a balance across geography and various types of sport as well as the gender and age of participants.”

This is the third grants programme launched by the Sirius Minerals Foundation, an independent charity set up by Sirius Minerals to spend a share of future revenues from its Woodsmith Mine near Whitby with the local community.

The charity has already awarded over half a million pounds to projects throughout Redcar and Cleveland, Whitby, Scarborough and the National Park, including education and skills training, improving public spaces and facilities, health and wellbeing, environmental initiatives, and community building schemes.

The Foundation has received initial funding of £2 million from Sirius Minerals Plc to coincide with the construction of the Woodsmith Mine and will receive an annual royalty of 0.5% of sales when the mine is operational.

“The Foundation is an integral part of our approach,” said Gareth Edmunds, External Affairs Director at Sirius Minerals.

“It has always been important to us that the local area benefits as much as possible.  The Foundation is an important means to help us achieve that and to provide a lasting legacy for the local community.”

A list of successful recipients is available at https://www.siriusmineralsfoundation.co.uk.