The ECF Grassroots Fund – Spring Update

The third Tranche ended on 28th February and there were no applications from the East of England. With just under £1,000 spent there is just over £9,000 available of our allocation, which we need to spend in the next 15 months. The fourth Tranche concludes on 31st May. Other details remain as they were and are repeated below.

The ECF launched the Grassroots fund on 16th July 2024. You can find their announcement here ECF Grassroots Support – English Chess Federation and more recent updates here and here.

John Wickham is the Coordinator for the East of England which comprises 6 counties (Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Essex) and all applications to the fund are sent to John for approval. In cases where there is a conflict of interest, he has some assistants to whom he can refer. Some funds were distributed during the first round, but applications remain open and there is still most of the original £10,000 allocated for the East of England. The deadline for the next round of applications is 1st December.

Individuals, Clubs and Organisations can apply using the application form https://britchess.wufoo.com/forms/ecf-grassroots-chess-initiative/. Please note that John cannot accept applications sent direct to him. Remember to indicate the East of England as your region.

The prospectus outlines the process and gives a guide on the types of grants. You will need to justify your application and please ensure you complete all section of the application form with as much detail as possible. If accepted you will be asked to provide follow up information on how the project was implemented and what the outcomes were.

If you need to clarify anything, need any advice or guidance then please contact John Wickham.

j.r.wickham@btinternet.com
07808876785