BBL, WBBL & BE receive £2.9m boost in latest Sports Winter Survival Package funding

The BBL and WBBL clubs and Basketball England have received a £2.9million boost as part of the latest round of Sports Winter Survival Package funding to deal with the impact of COVID-19.

British Basketball League clubs and Women’s British Basketball League clubs – will receive £2.5 million in grants and loans, whilst Basketball England will receive a £200,000 grant for testing, a further £200,000 for NBL clubs, and a small additional amount for the NGB.

This is about helping these clubs and sports survive the winter period

More support to be announced shortly pic.twitter.com/AQWsCwPIuA

— Oliver Dowden (@OliverDowden) February 20, 2021

This is the second tranche of funding to be announced from the Government’s £300 million Sport Winter Survival Package, focused on helping those major spectator sports severely impacted by coronavirus restrictions survive the winter.

Submissions for support have been made from individual sports to an independent decision-making Board, supported by Sport England.

“We are delighted to be able to work in partnership with the Government and Sport England and our partners in the British Basketball League and Women’s British Basketball League to provide critical financial support to our clubs in our National League Division One and the BBL and WBBL and for Covid testing,”
Basketball England CEO Stewart Kellett said.

“Basketball England has collaborated with the NBL clubs and the BBL and WBBL to navigate through this most difficult time. Without this resource many clubs would be bankrupt, seriously affecting the game’s future.

“We are very grateful for the support at the elite level of the game. Now we have some serious fund-raising to do to recover and help the community clubs and support all levels of the game to recover.”

The funding package has allowed the BBL and WBBL to undertake the 2020/ 21 season, with the leagues playing consistently since early November behind closed doors, with the outcomes of the BBL and WBBL Cup Finals, already determined.

“We were very pleased with the outcome from our negotiations, which will go a very long way to sustaining the top flight of our great game, and to sustaining our associated community programmes,” BBL Chairman Sir Rodney Walker said:.

“We know the Government recognises the impact of basketball, and the work of many BBL WBBL Clubs, through their Foundations and Community Interest Companies, goes well beyond sport. These activities by our Clubs go to the heart of the challenges faced by our young people in our disadvantaged communities, including related to physical activity, healthy eating, education related, social cohesion and mental health.”

“This support will be very important in sustaining these programmes when the Covid pandemic is behind us. The BBL would also like to thank the hard work by various DCMS and Sport England staff, who we know worked tirelessly to get to a position that the funding provided could be properly justified.”

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden added

“We are committed to helping our treasured sports through these challenging times. And today’s announcement is more evidence of our support for them.

“In particular, Women’s sport has faced acute pressures. The past few years have seen fantastic progress – with greater participation, employment, commercial opportunities and visibility in the media. I am determined not to let it take a back seat again.

“This targeted funding will enable sports to keep playing and inspire many more stars of the future.”