Sport Newcastle's 60th Year Boosted By Landmark £83,000 Investment

Sport Newcastle has secured £83,000 from the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority (NEMSA) to expand its support for talented young athletes and community sports clubs across the region.

The investment will support an ambitious programme forming a central part of Sport Newcastle’s 60th anniversary celebrations throughout 2027.

Sport Newcastle is the City’s oldest and most inclusive sports charity, supporting aspiring athletes, ambitious community sports clubs and inspirational coaches.

At the heart of the programme will be £60,000 of grant funding, invested directly in the next generation of local sporting talent and the grassroots clubs that strengthen communities across the region.

To date Sport Newcastle has made grants of more than £1.1million — supporting thousands of young athletes, coaches, volunteers, teams and clubs from across the region.

Through its 2027 Individual Grants programme, Sport Newcastle will award £30,000 to talented young athletes aged 12–21, helping to meet the costs of coaching, equipment, travel, training and competition that can prevent promising young people from reaching their potential.

Throughout next year a further £30,000 will be invested in grassroots sports clubs, helping them expand opportunities, increase participation and develop the coaches and volunteers who make community sport possible.

The expanded grant programmes will be open across the North East Mayoral Strategic Authority area, enabling Sport Newcastle to extend its reach while continuing to support communities where financial barriers and inequalities can restrict participation in sport.

The funding will also support the 2027 Sport Newcastle Awards and provide the capacity needed to administer the expanded grant programmes and support successful applicants.

Roger Tames, Chair of Sport Newcastle, said: “This is a landmark investment for Sport Newcastle as we prepare to celebrate our 60th anniversary. It will allow us to significantly increase the support we provide to talented young athletes and the community clubs that make such an important contribution to life across our region.

“For almost 60 years, Sport Newcastle has helped local people fulfil their potential through sport. This funding will enable us to celebrate that history by investing in the next generation and creating a lasting legacy for grassroots sport across the North East.”

North East Mayor Kim McGuinness added: “This investment is about backing the next generation of local sporting heroes and the grassroots clubs that sit at the heart of our communities.

“These clubs bring people together, inspire ambition and help build stronger, healthier and more connected communities through sport. Supporting Sport Newcastle’s work is an important part of our wider ambition to establish the North East as a region of sport, where everyone has the opportunity to participate, progress and succeed.”

Sport Newcastle’s patrons include Alan Shearer CBE, Sarah Hunter CBE and Jonathan Edwards CBE and Sir John Hall.

Further information about the expanded grant programmes, including eligibility and application dates, will be announced shortly.