A rugby club has been awarded nearly £10,000 to help it carry on during the coronavirus crisis.
Percy Park RFC, on Preston Avenue, in North Shields, has been given £9,428 of National Lottery funding from Sport England’s community emergency fund.
Sport England put together a £195m package to help the sporting sector after the Covid-19 outbreak began, aiming to provide funding to groups experiencing short-term financial hardship after their operations ceased due to the lockdown.
This grant will allow Percy Park to maintain pitches, carry out other essential maintenance and pay running costs which still need to be paid even though the club was closed.
Chris McDine, chairman of the group, said: "On behalf of Percy Park Rugby Football Club, I'd like to thank Sports England very much for our sports community grant.
"This grant has come at a time where our club has received very little income for over three months, so it's much needed and we are very appreciative.
"This money will be spent on continuing to maintain and improve our clubhouse for all in the community to continue to enjoy."
Tim Hollingsworth, Sport England’s chief executive, added: “As the body responsible for the growth of sport and physical activity participation, we want the vital grassroots organisations that make sport and physical activity happen in this country to not just to come through this crisis but to be in a position to thrive again in the future.
"The £20m community emergency fund, made possible by National Lottery players, is part of a multi-million pound package of support we are providing to ease the pressure on a huge number of the organisations who are central to the nation’s health and well being.
“We are proud to be able to provide vital funding to Percy Park Rugby Football Club to help it through these extremely challenging times.”
