Carlsberg SW Peninsula League clubs to benefit from Budweiser grants? (From Falmouth Packet)

Carlsberg SW Peninsula League clubs to benefit from Budweiser grants?

10:06am Monday 17th September 2012 in Sport By Simon Larkins, Sports Editor

The FA and Budweiser have announced that Budweiser will invest £1million directly into grassroots football in the UK over the next two seasons as part of their FA Cup sponsorship.

This could benefit many Cornish clubs as the new initiative, called ‘Budweiser Club Futures’, will give sixteen grants of £50,000 to non-league clubs across steps 5-7 of the English Football pyramid over the next two years.

This will include the Carlsberg South West Peninsula League, which has divisions in step six and seven of the non-league football ladder.
Eight grants will be available during the 2012/13 season, with a further eight grants available during the 2013/14 season.

Within each season, one of the chosen eight clubs will win an additional £100,000 super grant – as voted by football fans from early next year through the official FA Cup and Budweiser UK Facebook pages.

Budweiser Club Futures will aim to ‘help clubs to help themselves’ by improving any part of their general facilities. It will also help clubs become more financially sustainable, giving the opportunity to create a legacy in their community to inspire future generations of footballers.

The FA’s Director of Football Development, Sir Trevor Brooking, commented: “This level of football traditionally survives on the generosity of volunteers and a real sense of community spirit.  So it goes without saying that this £1m investment as part of the Budweiser Club Futures programme is a fantastic gesture, with the £100,000 Super Grant being a real pot of gold for the clubs involved.”

Budweiser European marketing director, Iain Newell, said: “We know the importance of non-league clubs to the future of the beautiful game and to local communities so we’re proud to be able to give these clubs a financial boost.  As a long-standing supporter of football around the world, Budweiser is committed to partnering with the communities where we live and work to support local clubs as they build their legacies.

“Budweiser also has a long-standing history of promoting responsible drinking so in addition to the core funding for vital infrastructure and other improvements, each of the sixteen winning clubs will be given additional funding and support to run community based Responsible Drinking programmes.”

These include ‘Designated Driver’, ‘Family Talk’ – a programme that encourages family to talk to their children about alcohol responsibility, and ‘Good Sport’ – a training programme in responsible drinks bartending.
Clubs wishing to apply for the grants should visit The FA website from August 22 2011 at www.TheFA.com/BudweiserClubFutures .

Closing date for submission of applications is 31/10/2012.

For more information on The FA Cup with Budweiser and ‘Budweiser Club Futures’ and visit www.TheFA.com/TheFACup