The Bath Half Marathon Fund is now open for applications from local charities, community groups and sports clubs, which are based in Bath and North East Somerset, and help local residents who are isolated or facing disadvantages, to play, stay fit and improve their health.

The Fund typically awards grants of up to £2,000 and the deadline for applications is 29th June 2017. Every year, donations from runners entering the Bath Half Marathon are added to the fund, and then awarded to sports, exercise and play projects

organised by community groups within B&NES.

Over the last fourteen years, the Fund has awarded £173,000 to 160 local projects. Charity Director Mel Taylor from Running High Events Ltd said, “We started the fund with Quartet Community Foundation in 2003, as we wanted to support local charitable groups which are too small to benefit through our official race charity scheme, or through our volunteering programme. The Bath Half Marathon Fund now stands as an endowment of £195,000, as a permanent source of future funding for local community groups. Quartet puts us directly in touch with these groups, where relatively small grants can make a big difference.”

A grant was awarded last year to the Sporting Family Change Foundation, an organisation which brings local families together to improve their physical health and wellbeing through fun sports activities. The grant enabled them to provide a series of sports sessions, tailor-made to the interests of a group of local families – including survivors of domestic abuse and their children. The families got to take part in cycling, dance and fitness classes for the mums, and team sports for the whole family.

If you think your community group or charity might be eligible to apply, read the full details at: http://quartetcf.org.uk/grant-programmes/bath-half-marathon, call Quartet on: 0117 989 7700 or email: [email protected]