Souness & Shearer Back Flutter's Cash4Clubs
Grassroots sports clubs across the UK and Ireland can apply for a share of £500,000 as Flutter UKI relaunches its Cash4Clubs programme for 2027.
Applications open on October 1, 2026, with former England captain Alan Shearer and ex-Liverpool and Scotland defender Graeme Souness fronting this year's campaign, delivered in partnership with the charity Sported.
How The Grants Work
Clubs and community groups can apply for a £2,000 grant (€2,000 in Ireland) to put toward costs such as venue hire, equipment, coaching qualifications, kit or volunteer expenses, according to Cash4Clubs' own site.
Only one grant is awarded per club, and funding is unrestricted so organisations can direct it to wherever it is needed most.
The programme is aimed specifically at clubs that keep adults engaged in sport, including groups tackling wider social issues such as mental health, rural isolation and economic deprivation.
2026 Changes
In its 2026 round, Cash4Clubs distributed £500,000 to 250 winning clubs and organisations across the UK's betting site's parent market and Ireland, per the campaign's own figures.
For the first time, five clubs will also be selected for larger £10,000 grants to support bigger projects, according to reporting on the 2027 relaunch.
The wider push comes as research commissioned by Flutter UKI from Red C Research found that roughly 40% of adult grassroots sports clubs have had to cut services because of financial pressures, a gap Cash4Clubs says its unrestricted grants are designed to help close.
Shearer And Souness Back The 2027 Campaign
Shearer and Souness have both presented grants to previous winners in person. Shearer handed Newcastle Panthers, an LGBTQIA+ football team, their award last year, while Souness surprised Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare FC in Midlothian at training with news of their grant.
"Seeing what this grant meant to Newcastle Panthers puts it all into perspective," Shearer said.
"It's helped so many members of our local community, both directly through the club and indirectly in the wider area through the positive message they share. I would encourage any neighbourhood club to apply for this grant."
"Never underestimate the difference a small grant can make to the survival of a grassroots club or local community group," Souness added. "Earlier this year, I visited Easthouses Lily Miners Welfare FC to surprise them at training with the news that they'd received a Cash4Clubs grant. Since then, they've battled back from financial hardship and the threat of relegation."
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Nearly Two Decades Of Grassroots Funding
Cash4Clubs was set up in 2008 by Betfair, now part of Flutter UKI, and has since donated more than £7 million to grassroots and community sports clubs across the UK and Ireland, including £1.3 million to 640 clubs since 2024, according to Sported, the UK charity that delivers the programme.
Previous recipients have come from up to 100 different sports. Applications for the 2027 round open on Cash4Clubs' own site on October 1.
