Paddle England Athlete Support Fund 2026

Paddle England recognises that individuals and their families at all levels make significant sacrifices and financial contributions to enable participation and pursue their sporting ambitions. To better support athletes selected to a representative British or English team who are undergoing financial difficulties relative to their peers, Paddle England has created an Athlete Support Fund for eligible English athletes. The purpose of the fund is to provide some financial assistance to support athletes competing at British or English Team representative competitions that may otherwise have been unaffordable to them.

To be eligible to apply to the Athlete Support Fund the athlete must be a current member of Paddle England based in England at the time of application, are not in direct receipt of any UK Sport Lottery funding and have been selected for a representative British or English Team through a Paddle UK approved selection process at junior, U23 or senior level.

A normal award is anticipated to not exceed £600, in exceptional circumstances (such as, but not limited to, high travel costs) the panel will consider awarding grants up to £1,000. The Panel will consider a range of factors in order to assess which grant will have the greatest impact. These factors include (but are not limited to) the degree of financial hardship, the applicant's personal circumstances (such as location, other bursaries or grant funding available), the purpose of the application, the potential impact of the fund and the current performance level of the athlete.

2026 key dates:

• Round 1: Closing date for applications is 9am, Monday 27 April 2026
• Round 2: Closing date for application is 9am, Monday 22 June 2026
• Round 3: Closing date for application is 9am, Monday 24th August 2026

For more information, visit - https://paddleuk.org.uk/paddle-england-athlete-support-fund-2026/