May & Baker Eastbrook Community Club has been awarded £10,000 of funding owards the maintenance of sports facilities and playing areas for children and adults during the ogoing coronavirus pandemic.

The outbreak of the virus and consequent shutdown of businesses as of March 23 left the sport and physical activity sector facing a period of uncertainty.

In response, on March 31, Sport England announced a £195million package to help the sport and physical activity sector through Covid-19.

Within the package is a £20m Community Emergency Fund of National Lottery money to deliver immediate funding to those who have a role in supporting the nation to be active but are experiencing short-term financial hardship or the ceasing of operations due to the impact of coronavirus.

The grant will allow May & Baker Eastbrook Community Club to meet staff costs and maintenance of the playing areas to make them ready for use when safe to do so.

The grant is also going towards meeting the regular running costs, including utility bills and insurance costs while the club has not been able to generate any income.

Steve Thompson, chair of May & Baker Eastbrook Community Club, said: “All at the charity are grateful for this grant which comes at a crucial time.

“Trustees and Staff are working hard to ensure the club can continue to offer the sports and social facilities to the community.

“It is only by grants like this that it will enable the club to survive and therefore we are very grateful for the award and the support Sport England has provided in the past.”

Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England’s chief executive, added: “As the body responsible for the growth of sport and physical activity participation, we want the vital grassroots organisations that make sport and physical activity happen in this country to not just to come through this crisis but to be in a position to thrive again in the future.

“The £20m Community Emergency fund, made possible by National Lottery players is part of a multimillion pound package of support we are providing to ease the pressure on a huge number of the organisations who are central to the nation’s health and wellbeing.

“We are proud to be able to provide vital funding to May & Baker Eastbrook Community Club to help it through these extremely challenging times.”