Active Thames Fund
The 2024-2025 Active Thames Fund is now open!
The Active Thames Fund is dedicated to fostering growth in water sports and enhancing the use of the Thames Path National Trail. It is focused on improving access, diversity, and inclusion, while raising awareness of the benefits of physical activity in blue spaces.
Now in its fourth year, the Fund has awarded £430,000 to 56 different clubs, each encouraging sport and physical activity on the region’s blue spaces and the Thames Path National Trail.
In 2023 alone, Active Thames funding supported over 2,300 individuals to participate in more than 850 activity sessions, with over 230 additional people developing key coaching skills and qualifications.
Photo: Laburnum Boat Club, previous grant recipients
In 2024, the fund made 23 awards, with an additional 11 awards funded through the Tideway Boost. The 2024 Active Thames and Tideway Boost grant recipients covered a range of activity. Funding was awarded to support the delivery of various water sport sessions, including rowing, paddling, and sailing, as in the case of London Youth Rowing, Tower Hamlets Canoe Club, and Tideway Sailability.
Funding was also allocated to projects that run along the Thames Path, including walking groups facilitated by Re-Instate and Cake Club CIO. Other organisations focused their funding on workforce development and training, as in the case of the Leaside Trust, The Line, and Shadwell Basin Outdoor Activity Centre.
Application information
As in previous years, the Active Thames fund links to the recommendations of the Active Thames participation and workforce survey conducted in 2021, which is available here.
Applications close 27 October 2024.
Applicants are encouraged to submit proposals that align with one or more of the following objectives:
- Increase diversity in participation: Particularly among under-represented groups including:
- Children & young people.
- People with disabilities.
- People with long term health conditions.
- People from lower socio-economic groups.
- Ethnically diverse communities.
- Workforce Development: Enhancing the skills and capabilities of coaches, volunteers and, administrative support teams.
In addition, we are particularly keen to welcome applications that will:
- Boost participation east of Tower Bridge extending through to Kent and Essex
- Support coastal rowing projects.
- Develop and empower community activators to drive participation in paddle sports.
- Provide continued provision of activity, beyond this funding cycle.
Grants of up to are £5,000 are available. Larger grants may be considered for projects that meet multiple objectives and demonstrate a strong track record of successful delivery. Previous beneficiaries of Active Thames grants are welcome to apply again.
Applicants are also encouraged to clearly highlight in their applications how their projects support the wider objectives and outcomes of the Active Thames grant, namely to:
- Improve people’s health and wellbeing (physical and/or mental)
- Build greater community connections.
- Maintain a clean and safe river.
To be eligible for funding, applicants must:
- Be formally constituted as a not-for-profit or statutory organisation.
- Operate activities based on or alongside waterways in Greater London, Kent or Essex, including docks, basins, reservoirs, canals, lakes and rivers that connect to the tidal Thames and its Estuary.
- Begin project delivery by February 2025/ conclude by Autumn 2025
- Commit to ongoing reporting and collaboration with the PLA’s Impact & Partnerships Officer to monitor the use of funds and project outcomes.
- Have safeguarding and equal opportunities policies in place. If you do not have them, Club Matters has suitable templates which you can use. An Active Thames partner may visit your activity and ask for proof of your safeguarding policy and/or equal opportunities policy at any time.
- Ensure that all activities that are open to the public are digitally accessible and compliant with Open Active standards. More information is available here. If you are not familiar with Open Active, please contact us to find out more.
Applications open on 25 September 2024.
Applications close on 27 October 2024.
Funding decisions and communications to all applicants will be made within four weeks of the closing date.
Applications can only be made online through our simple application form available here. As the form will not ‘save’ automatically we recommend you prepare your responses in a Word document before submission.
Within your application you will need to provide detailed information about how you intend to use the funding and who the intended beneficiaries are. Please note the following:
Applications will be scored against the following criteria:
- Meeting the needs identified by the Active Thames research.
- A clear delivery outline.
- A clear demonstration of how their project contributes to the Active Thames objectives and outcomes.
- Sustainability - how the investment will be maximised and have continued impact in the long term.
Your application will be reviewed by a panel comprising of Active Thames partners, including: Active Essex, Active Kent & Medway, London Sport, Paddle UK, British Rowing, Royal Yachting Association (RYA), Canal & River Trust, Thames Path National Trail and the PLA. Your application may also be shared with other potential funders at the discretion of the sports manager. If you would prefer that your application not be shared with other potential funders, please notify us at [email protected]
Frequently Asked Questions
Active Thames focusses on the waterways in Greater London, Kent and Essex including docks, basins, reservoirs, canals, lakes and rivers that feed into the tidal Thames and its Estuary.
The fund will not cover:
- Initiatives without a link to the waterways identified or the Thames Path National Trail.
- Retrospective costs.
- Marketing costs and expenses.
- Organisations known to be acting unsafely or harming the environment.
- Individuals.
- Organisations strictly supporting one demographic and excluding others (e.g., a faith-based community group).
- Any initiatives or organisations that create a conflict of interest for any of the Active Thames partners.
No. We can only give grants to formally constituted organisations with a bank account in the name of that organisation.
Support & Guidance
If you require any guidance or support with your application, or have any further questions please contact us at [email protected].
We will also be holding a number of online ‘drop-in’ sessions for groups who may wish to speak to us directly:
- Monday 30 September 12-1pm
- Monday 7 October 12-1pm
- Monday 14 October 12-1pm
If you do wish to make use of these, please contact us at [email protected] and we will share joining information with you.
Photo: ReInstate, 2024 Tideway Boost grant recipients
Impact Report 2022
This report outlines the progress made between 2021 and 2022, with an emphasis on the grants awarded to community clubs who then went on to deliver hundreds of watersports sessions in 2022.
Major boost for Active Thames 2024
Tideway, the company behind London’s super sewer, has given Active Thames a major boost in 2024.
The PLA’s partnership programme, Active Thames, encourages more people to get active on or by the tidal Thames and inland waterways. Tideway’s new funding marks the year when the new infrastructure starts to clean up the river, and is in addition to the £150,000 of Active Thames grants awarded to 23 projects across London, Kent and Essex in January this year.
Active Thames funding fuels 23 projects to encourage use of ‘blue space’
Active Thames has awarded £150,000 in grants to 23 projects across London, Kent and Essex.
Like our better-known green spaces, the 95 miles of “blue” space offered by the tidal Thames can be a place for sport and relaxation, benefitting people’s physical and mental wellbeing.
Active Thames awards funding to 26 organisations
Active Thames, led by the Port of London Authority, has awarded £150,000 in grants to 26 successful applicants.
The increase in funding from over £90,000 last year to nearly £150,000 this year demonstrates the continuing commitment Active Thames partners have made to promoting activity on the tidal Thames and inland waterways in London, Kent, and Essex.
Active Thames Fund 2021-2022 winners announced
More than £90,000 has been awarded to 24 organisations promoting activity on the tidal Thames and inland waterways in London, Kent and Essex, as part of a new programme led by the Port of London Authority.
Active Thames grant recipients
Rowers feel empowered
© 2024 Active Thames