Bristol Rovers Community Trust has been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund in support of the Over 60’s Extra Time Programme.
The Extra Time Programme provides a weekly opportunity for Rovers fans aged 60 or over to spend time together, take part in light physical activities and engage in different social opportunities around The Memorial Stadium.
Originally launched in 1992, and achieving charity status in 2001, the Bristol Rovers Community Trust works with people across the local community, offering social inclusion, health, education and sports participation projects to give them the opportunity of enhancement.
Over 60 EFL club community organisations have received a grant in the first phase of funding, which aims to improve the quality of life within communities through the access to, and quality of, football provisions and initiatives.
Applications covering projects across a range of categories, such as improving local sporting facilities or promoting the physical and social benefits of the game, were considered, and rubber-stamped by a panel of industry experts including Sky Bet ambassador Jeff Stelling last month.
The Building Foundations Fund represents the largest multi-year sponsor-backed fund dedicated solely to community activity and the process is underway to give EFL Community Club Organisations (CCOs) a chance to bid for grants of up to £100,000 to invest in ongoing programmes or to develop new initiatives.
The EFL and Sky Bet agreed a record extension earlier this year that saw the sports betting brand continue as the League’s title partner until the end of the 2028/29 campaign. The commitment to a community fund was an integral part of the extension agreement.
