Boost Charitable Trust

Overview

All their activities are designed to give opportunities to those who wish to fulfil their sporting ambitions, at any level.

Boost believes that sport is for everyone, and they hope to work with people from all ages, race, colours, creeds and physical abilities.

Boost’s grants have engaged with 75 different sports. 

Boost supports a wide spectrum of sports in five areas of disadvantage:

• Physical and learning disabilities
  • Sport and its benefits should be accessible to all.  Nearly half of Boost’s annual grants are directed towards sport for those with physical or learning disabilities.
• Financial hardship
  • Cost should not be a barrier to participation in sport, though for many it still is.  Boost supports programmes in both the UK and eSwatini helping children and adults to get involved in swimming, rugby, football and many other sports.
• Mental health
  • Sport and exercise can play a vital role in overcoming mental health challenges.  Boost has supported programmes providing weekly yoga sessions, badminton and tai chi classes and Saturday football clubs to help people with their mental health.  
• Social exclusion
  • There is no place for social exclusion in today’s world.  Boost has awarded grants for a tri-city programme for the homeless, a boxing and fitness project for ex-offenders and a Saturday football club for asylum seekers and refugees.  
• Medical research and relief.
  • Boost supports projects that seek ways to improve outcomes for or provide respite to those suffering from illness through exercise and activity.  We have awarded grants to both the Australian Leukemia Foundation and Parkinson’s UK.

Like many other Trusts, they receive many more applications than they can fund. 

What the Trust is looking for:

• A well-defined and specific project
• Real passion for improving people’s lives through sport
• Clear evidence of disability or disadvantage and how the project addresses that need
• Genuine need for funding
• Longer term impact

Funding Levels

Boost offers two different levels of funding:

1. Small Awards, up to £750, which are considered through a shorter process;
2. Large Awards, over £750, which are considered by the full trustee body at the next trustee meeting.  Most of their more recent Large Awards have been in the range of £2,000 to £7,000. 

See all of the projects Boost has supported here