Power of Scotland Roller Derby is Scotland's national team, competing at the world cup level. The sport is one of the few fully inclusive team sports for adults with no institutional discrimination based on sex, gender, sexuality, race, ethnicity, heritage, age, disability or religion.

However, the journey hasn't been easy. "We're an open gender sport and it almost died in Covid," explained Rosie Gompertz from Power of Scotland. "Adult indoor team sport was the last to come back. When it did, we had reduced numbers and we're still rebuilding."

When the World Cup was announced, the team sprang back into action. "We got in touch with everyone and got going again. Now we meet every two weeks – everyone trains with their home league and then meets with the national team," Rosie said. The squad has 20 players selected for the World Cup.

The financial barriers are significant. "All of this comes out of our own pocket," Rosie explained. "Aside from grants like Cash4Clubs, this is all self-funded. We make our own merchandise, do sponsored head shaves, and approach local businesses. A lot of our members aren't high earners and have families."

The team's inclusive nature means it attracts vulnerable populations. "We're an all-gender team with non-gender conforming and trans people disproportionately represented," Rosie said. "A lot of folks are struggling financially, which is why your funding makes such a huge difference."

The Cash4Clubs grant is enabling Power of Scotland to host a tournament over Easter Weekend, with representatives from the Netherlands, Ireland, England, Scotland, Japan, and Germany competing.

"This grant is allowing us to showcase what roller derby is all about to the world ahead of the World Cup in France at the end of April," Rosie said.

Goal Getters is a walking netball group for over 55-year-olds based in Greater Manchester. The group has grown from just 6 people six years ago to 22 regular participants – many of whom live alone and were feeling isolated in retirement.

"Some people feel rather isolated when they retire, especially if they live on their own," Maria Rowlands from Goal Getters explained. "Half our members do live alone, and this group helps them get out and be part of a very friendly community. Members tell us they're so glad they found us – some say they wouldn't have known what to do otherwise."

The impact on participants is profound. Members report that attending sessions gives them "a little lift" and helps them feel as if they've "done something" and "got the problems off the chest." One long-standing member shared: "I don't know what I'd do if I hadn't have found this. It's the best group. If I had to give groups up, it won't be this one."

The club keeps membership fees deliberately low at just £5 per month to ensure affordability for pensioners on fixed incomes. However, the main challenge remains venue hire costs, which consume a significant portion of their budget.

"The funding is important because not always do our funds cover the cost of rent," Maria explained. "It's mostly the rent – we pay about £36 a week to keep the roof over our head. This grant will help us immensely."

The funding will support court hire, coaching, qualifications, and insurance.

A G Boxing provides boxercise and fitness classes for women in Derbyshire's DE21 ward – ranked 2nd for multiple deprivation and 1st for health inequalities. Founded by ex-boxer Autumn Goodwin, the club creates a safe, supportive community for women who face barriers to participation: caring responsibilities, time constraints, cost, and lack of confidence.

The club runs sessions at 6am to help women fit training around their caring responsibilities, offers reduced subs during hardship, and provides a WhatsApp group for motivation and social connection.

"Women face physical, social, cultural, economic and psychological barriers to fitness," Ms Goodwin explained. "We've grown from zero to 60 regular participants. This grant will help us subsidise fees, provide more equipment, and expand sessions so we can reach more women in the biggest housing estate in Europe – addressing health inequalities and creating lasting habits for future generations."

The funding will support venue hire, volunteer training, equipment, and marketing.

Pontypridd Roadents serves the South Wales valleys – traditional mining areas that have become deprived following industrial decline. The club provides running for all levels, with a particular focus on safety for women runners following recent high-profile attacks on women training outdoors.

The club runs beginner-friendly "couch to 5km" and "5km to 10km" courses in safe, well-lit areas, and trains Welsh Athletics-qualified coaches to support runners of all abilities.

"Our local area is lacking a running club with a safe, well-lit running track and adequate facilities," Nick Pounder, the club treasurer explained. "In light of recent attacks on women, our members asked for more secure areas for training. We hope to grow membership by 50-100 members in the next year, particularly attracting female participants and those beginning their running journey."

The funding will support track hire and coaching qualifications.

Circular Climbing Collective was founded by two friends who bonded over mental health conversations while climbing. Since 2023, volunteer facilitators have run weekly peer-support sessions at climbing centres in Bristol, creating inclusive, non-judgmental spaces for people struggling with mental illness, addiction, grief, loneliness, unemployment, and other challenges.

According to Bristol's 2024/25 Quality of Life Survey, 1 in 5 people report poor mental wellbeing, yet wait times for community mental health services are among the longest in the UK.

"Entry to climbing centres costs up to £15 in Bristol, which isn't feasible for everyone," the collective explained. "Since introducing funded free entries in March 2025, we've had 15 new participants who couldn't otherwise afford to attend. This grant will expand our 'Climb Free with CCC' campaign and train new volunteer facilitators to ensure sustainability."

The funding will support free entry places, insurance for outdoor trips, and volunteer training.

Folkestone Divers is based in an area of low incomes where major industries have closed, leaving high unemployment and low wages. The club is now setting up a disabled section after surveying the local area and discovering that over 100 people with disabilities wanted to try diving.

"We're regularly contacted by disabled people who wish to try diving, but we never have equipment for them," the club explained. "Disabled people benefit hugely from diving. This grant will allow us to set up a disabled section in shallow water with proper supervision and coaching. It will help disabled people feel part of the community, get active and fit, and make new friends."

The funding will support coaching and specialist equipment.

The Good Vibe Project is a volunteer-led community group run solely for the benefit of autistic adults. For many participants, the weekly meetings are often the only activity they engage in all week. Participants face multiple barriers including social isolation, limited access to inclusive recreational opportunities, financial constraints, and transport challenges.

"Many of our participants have never taken part in mainstream sport or group activities without support," the project explained. "We deliver yoga, dance, dodgeball, tennis, badminton, adapted sports for wheelchair users, swimming, fitness sessions, and group trips to the bowling alley. For many, this will be the only activity they engage in each week, so the project will significantly reduce social isolation and enhance mental wellbeing."

The funding will support session delivery, equipment, and project coordination.

Better The Next Day (BTND) is a UK-wide community organisation using fitness and connection to improve physical and mental health for LGBTQ+ communities and people experiencing poor mental health, loneliness or low confidence. Many participants have had negative past experiences in mainstream gyms or team sports, leading to long periods of disengagement from physical activity.

"LGBTQ+ people continue to feel excluded, unsafe or unwelcome in mainstream sport and fitness environments," BTND explained. "Fear of judgement, past experiences of discrimination and anxiety about being visibly different are major barriers. This grant will help us expand Run Crews and Gym Crew sessions, removing financial and confidence-based barriers by offering free or low-cost sessions in safe, welcoming spaces.".

The funding will support venue access, session delivery, equipment, and volunteer support.

Kilkenny Mystics is a netball club with a powerful mission: to provide an outlet for isolated people in the community. The club has grown significantly, now boasting 40 active members from a broader group of 50, with a notably transitional membership – many members work on short-term contracts but maintain strong connections to the club.

"Our ethos is giving an outlet for isolated people in the community," explained Chiara Trench from Kilkenny Mystics. "We're a group of men and women, and it's very transitional – people working on 6-month contracts – but they always keep in touch.".

The club's evolution has been remarkable. It operated as women's-only for three years before becoming mixed last summer, and the response has been transformative. "We laid a national league team last year that was exclusively women. Now we've got loads of men coming," Chiara said. "We've also got two coaches from different clubs who are bringing the concept of moving to Carlow as well.".

The club is now establishing a national league team in Carlow for the coming September – a significant expansion that required spreading the word to potential players..

Netball is an expensive sport, with hall hire being the primary cost driver. "It's one of the reasons we didn't go into national league this year," Chiara explained. "We charge €55 a month for one training session, but we offer better prices with bigger numbers – two nights, two sessions per week – and we do pay-as-you-go for people who can't commit to a full membership".

The club attracts a diverse age range, from people in their 20s to 48-year-olds. "I'm 48 and used to play as a teen and I loved going back," Chiara said. "I thought in my 30s there's no way I'm playing sport, but netball has opened my eyes to how inclusive it is. People are coming out of the pockets of their own communities.".

The sport itself is dynamic and demanding. "It's very competitive – they're mad for it," Chiara explained. "They bounce off each other. You've got people at two ends of the world just having great fun and connection. It's a dynamic sport, it's fast, it's a thinker's game – it's all about tactics. You need skill, athletic ability, jumping, diving, hitting – it's all involved.".

The club's diversity reflects the community it serves. "We have great cross-overs between communities – Brazilians, Eastern Europeans," Chiara said. "It's a sport that truly brings people together.".

The Cash4Clubs grant will support hall hire and help reduce membership costs, making the sport more accessible to those facing financial barriers.