We keep kids off streets but cannot get funding

A grassroots boxing club in Oxfordshire has said it should be easier to access funding that could help "keep kids off the street".

Brennans Gym in Carterton has been waiting more than a year to be accepted as a community amateur sports club (CASC), which would provide more funding opportunities and government tax reliefs.

Against a backdrop of high social media use among children and declining youth services, owner and coach Harriet Brennan said easier access to funding would make the sport "more accessible".

A HMRC spokesperson said: "We keep the eligibility criteria under review to ensure they remain effective in helping community organisations thrive."

To register as a new CASC you must be based in the UK, provide facilities for eligible sports outlined by Sport England and encourage people to take part.

You cannot charge more than £31 a week for membership and if you charge more than £10 a week must provide help for people who cannot pay.

When you become a CASC you do not need to pay tax on money that is used to promote participation and provide facilities for your sport (qualifying purposes), as well as other benefits like business rates relief and Gift Aid on donations.

For Harriet and her husband Tom - who is also a coach and active professional boxer - the gym is more than a place for kids to punch each other.

"They're either physically here with us, or they know what we think about right and wrong and they know not to be involved with people that are up to no good," she said.

Harriet's had to provide evidence that meets the criteria as well as 12 months of accounts - all of which she said is a hindrance for grassroots clubs trying to start out.

The couple are hoping to be accepted as a CASC before April when their business rates are expected to increase.

"If it wasn't for the fact we're running a gym business alongside it, I don't really know how we would have had a club to be honest with you," she added.

In Banbury, Dave Earle MBE has been running classes at his Spit 'N' Sawdust gym for more than 20 years but has always found it difficult asking for financial support.

"Most people who come to this gym don't come for the boxing they come to build their confidence up," he said.

He has offered affordable classes at about £5 for people struggling with their mental health, alcohol and drug addiction and is now running a class for children who are neurodiverse.

"You want to do the right thing and I love doing the right thing, but sometimes it makes it difficult paying the bills."

A HMRC spokesperson said: "The Community Amateur Sports Club (CASC) scheme provides tax reliefs to support grassroots clubs, and we keep the eligibility criteria under review to ensure they remain effective in helping community organisations thrive."

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