Peter Crouch and Alan Shearer share how Manchester sports clubs can apply for £2k grants

Grassroots sports clubs have been invited to apply for a £2,000 cash grant to support their local activities, boost participation, and fund coaching programmes, in a scheme backed by England legends.

Cash4Clubs is poised to award grants to 200 community organisations throughout the UK and Ireland to underpin grassroots sports. Ex-England forward Alan Shearer has urged groups to submit their applications via Cash4Clubs before the cut-off date of December 12.

Shearer said: "These grants could provide a lifeline to many clubs and organisations around the country, not to mention the thousands of adults connected to them. Being part of a club can be life-changing at any age and improving health and fitness only skims the surface of the benefits most people experience."

"The impact on communities, particularly those in deprived areas, is immeasurable, making grants like Cash4Clubs vital."

Echoing Shearer's sentiments, former Liverpool ace Peter Crouch added: "£2,000 is the difference between having equipment and not for a lot of grassroots organisations and keeping funding like this available depends on clubs getting stuck in, so if you haven't applied already, be sure to get stuck in before the deadline on December 12th.", reports the Liverpool Echo.

Since its inception in 2008, Flutter UKI, the betting and gaming company that owns household names such as Betfair and Paddy Power, has poured nearly £6m into community sports through its Cash4Clubs scheme. Last year alone, close to 40,000 individuals across 50 different sports reaped the benefits of this funding, with a huge 85% directed towards clubs aiding those in lower socio-economic brackets.

One notable recipient of a £2,000 grant was Acorn Football Club in Hull the UK's