28/02/2026
๐นBig news for Hyndburn's sports community!๐น
We're investing ยฃ100,000 into Sports Development to support local teams and individuals. This is in addition to the ยฃ100,000 Cabinet Action Fund which has supported many organisations in 25/26. Plus, we'll be hiring a Sports Development Officer to help them thrive.
But that's not all... We're also setting up a benevolent fund to ensure everyone can access sport, regardless of background or ability.
This is about putting our communities first and making sure every child in Hyndburn has the same opportunities.
Let's level the playing field!
โฝ๏ธ๐๐โพ๏ธ๐พ๐๐ฑ๐๐ธ๐
๐๐ฅ
โณ๏ธ๐๏ธโโ๏ธ๐คธโโ๏ธโน๏ธโโ๏ธ๐โโ๏ธ๐คฝโโ๏ธ๐๐ดโโ๏ธ
Read more from our Sport Portfolio holder Councillor Kimberley Whitehead below โฌ๏ธ
๐ ๐ฆ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ฅ, ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฃ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฅ๐ง ๐๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ก๐ง๐ฅ๐ข๐๐จ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐๐ก๐ง ๐๐จ๐ก๐ ๐
๐ ๐๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฏ๐๐ฟ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐น ๐๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐
Over the past several years, one issue has been raised with me time and again by residents, volunteers, and community leaders is the lack of structured support for grassroots sports clubs within our borough.
Long before I became a councillor, it was clear that while we have passionate local clubs and dedicated volunteers, the council did not have the capacity or the coordination needed to help them thrive.
In May last year, the controlling group created a dedicated Sports Portfolio to begin addressing this gap. That work has already shown us how much potential there is in Hyndburnโs sporting community and how much more we could achieve with the right support in place.
๐ซถ๐ผ For me, this is not just a policy issue; it is personal. Growing up, sport provided me with a safe space, a sense of belonging, and a positive outlet at times when life was challenging. It shaped my confidence, my friendships, and my resilience. I know first-hand the difference that access to sport can make in a young personโs life, and I want every child in Hyndburn to have those same opportunities.
As we move toward Local Government Reorganisation, it would not be sensible to build a new inโhouse sports function that may be disrupted or duplicated in the transition.
Instead, the most effective and sustainable approach was for us to align this work closely with Hyndburn Leisure, where expertise in physical activity, community engagement, and facility management already sits.
๐๐ป Therefore, to protect the progress we are making, and to ensure continuity for local groups during this period, ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ข๐ณ๐ณ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ถ๐น๐น ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐น๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฎ ยฃ๐ญ๐ฌ๐ฌ,๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ด๐ฒ๐ to support the implementation of our Active Environment Strategy, support Grassroots teams such as Football, Rugby, Netball and Walking Groups to help them secure a long-term legacy.
This funding is in addition to the ยฃ100,000 Cabinet Action Fund which has supported many clubs since we introduced it two years agos ago.
This role will provide the handsโon support that grassroots clubs have been asking for helping them access funding, grow participation, strengthen governance, and build longโterm sustainability.
Sport and physical activity are among the most powerful tools we have to improve wellbeing and to help address health inequalities in our borough.
๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ฟ.
That is why part of this funding we will establish a ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ผ๐น๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฑ to ensure that financial barriers do not prevent residents especially young people from taking part in local sport, regardless of background or ability. Something I have personally been championing for many years and now proud to deliver.
This proposal is about more than a single role or a single strategy.
It is about recognising a longโstanding gap,
responding to what our communities have told us, and putting in place a structure that will support grassroots sport for years to come and work to remove some of the barriers to participation for our residents.
I am proud to have led on this proposal which will stop the need for grassroots teams to deal with those politicians who time and time again promise jam tomorrow. I said Iโd be different and wouldnโt promise what I couldnโt deliver. Again this is another example of how things can be different when you put place and people first before politics.
๐พ๐ก๐ก๐ง ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ง๐ก๐๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐ฉ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐ฑ๐ณ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ช๐ญ๐ญ & ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ฏ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฆ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ต๐บ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ณ
๐๐ข๐ฃ๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ต ๐๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ ๐๐ถ๐ญ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ, ๐๐ฆ๐ณ๐ช๐ต๐ข๐จ๐ฆ & ๐๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต
