School Playground Funding Guide

Budgets are always tight but if you wish to revitalise your school playground there are many sources of funding available that can help turn your plans into a reality.

There are several ways to fund your potential playground development. Some schools use their own in-house funding ideas through the PTA or imaginative school based fundraising activities. It is a good idea to take on any activities as a team as there tends to be a lot of work to do!

Such ideas can include but are not limited to:

School Discos Quiz Nights Fun Days Talent Shows Treasure Hunts Raffles Car Washes Bake Sales Auctions Sports Challenges

Alternative sources of funding

PE and Sport Premium funding is also available to help Primary Schools to provide opportunities for every child to participate in high quality daily activity.

There are 5 key indicators required to secure improvements:

• Engagement of all pupils in regular physical activity
• The profile of PE and sport is raised across the school as a tool for whole-school improvement
• Increased confidence, knowledge and skills of all staff in teaching PE and sport
• Broader experience of a range of sports and physical activities offered to all pupils
• Increased participation in competitive sport

You can find more information on Sport Premium Funding here and the links below will also give you some further options:

• Association of Play Industries (API)
• easyfundraising
• Sport England
• Community Fund

As well as the above ideas and options there are also various grant schemes for school grounds:

Awards for All provides grants of up to £10,000 for schools and charities for art, sport, heritage and community activities, and projects that promote education, the environment and health in the local community. Schools can apply directly without charitable status and offers a simple application form and quick turnaround with no deadlines.

Your outdoor project is likely to be eligible and needs to meet one of the 4 funding outcomes below:

• People have better chances in life – with better access to training and development to improve their life skills.
• Stronger communities – with more active citizens working together to tackle their problems.
• Improved rural and urban environments – which communities are better able to access and enjoy.
• Healthier and more active people and communities.

Click here for more information on Awards for All.

Biffaward is a grant scheme funded by Biffa Waste Services, through the landfill tax credits scheme, which levies a tax on all Landfill operators in order to fund environment and community projects within a certain distance from the Landfill sites. They provide small grants and main grants to improve community facilities.

Mary and John Church of England Primary School PTA received a grant of £5,000 from the Biffaward small grants scheme to turn a desolate concrete playground into a wildflower meadow.

Click here for more information on Biffaward funding opportunities.

A little digging can pay big dividends

These are just some of the ways you may be able to access some funding to help your school maximise funding potential. It is vital to spend as much time as you can researching the funding possibilities so you don’t miss out!

If you need any further advice or support in relation to funding then please e-mail sean@first4playgrounds.co.uk