MERKUR Community Support “Sport for All”

As funding pressures threaten the ability of organisations to continue to run free or heavily subsidised events, MERKUR Community, which was launched at the start of the year, has adopted a number of projects targeted at encouraging sports participation.

The first tranche of organisations being supported are involved across a range of activities including Rugby, Football, Dance, Tai Chi and Swimming.

Tony Boulton, the company’s Director of Public and Political Relations, explained: “One club that we are assisting can no longer afford to hire the swimming pool it has used in order to provide free swimming sessions for disadvantaged adults.

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“What are relatively small amounts of money can make a huge difference, for example £1500 from MERKUR Community is funding the weekly swims for an entire year.”

He added: “Even in quite affluent areas the intense pressure on funding means that sports activity providers find themselves no longer able to offer free spaces to underprivileged children during school holidays – again a modest donation has helped address the shortfall.

“As the pressures on local authority funding intensify it’s clear that MERKUR Community has an important role to play.”