Organisations across Burnley are benefiting from Burnley Council’s Pride in Place Impact Fund Rural Assets and Grass Roots Sports grant schemes, funded through the UK Government’s Pride in Place Impact Fund. Together, the two schemes are supporting projects that improve community facilities, local assets and shared spaces across the borough. From grassroots sports clubs buying equipment and upgrading facilities to parish councils and community organisations investing in green spaces and local hubs, the funding is helping strengthen the places that matter to residents.
This page brings together the organisations receiving support, what they have been awarded and the difference that funding will make. Some projects focus on widening access to sport and reducing barriers to participation; others will improve community hubs, public spaces and rural assets that are used by residents, families, volunteers and visitors throughout the year.
Grass Roots Sports Fund
Belvedere Sports Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £3,500
Project: Disabled toilet facilities
A £3,500 grant is helping Belvedere Sports Club tackle a practical but important barrier to inclusion: accessible toilet and wash facilities. The club serves a community of more than 800 members across football, cricket and rugby, regularly misses out on bookings because it does not currently have suitable disabled provision, and sees around 10 per cent of annual footfall from disabled users. Converting an existing space into an accessible toilet, changing area, shower and wash basin will make the site more welcoming and usable, while also helping bring more income back into the club for future improvements.
Briercliffe Football Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £3,000
Project: Clubhouse renovation
For Briercliffe Football Club, the focus is on creating a stronger community base. Its £3,000 award will contribute to the Briercliffe For All project, which centres on improving the clubhouse and surrounding facilities at Queen Street Playing Fields. The aim is to return to the club’s original community-and-family roots by creating a space where people can use toilets, make refreshments, and spend more time at the site, alongside wider pitch and facility improvements. With 135 registered children already involved and a target of around 500 beneficiaries through engagement with the parish council, community centre and local groups, the project is about much more than the building itself.
“Briercliffe Community Football Club would like to extend our thanks to Burnley Council as the Pride in Place Impact Fund will be instrumental in securing our presence back within the community and supporting all. Thankyou ⚽️”
Burnley Junior Cricket Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £3,000
Project: Taster sessions, kit and cricket field improvements
Burnley Junior Cricket Club is a well-established club with five adult teams, nine youth teams and around 150 members. The Pride in Place funding will support the purchase of 10 cricket kits for taster sessions, alongside improvements to the cricket field including fertilising and seeding. The club wants to use the project not only to grow membership, but also to bring more people together through cricket and widen access to the sport. The the club plans to deliver free sessions through schools and community partners, with a particular focus on girls aged seven to 13 as an under-represented group, as well as engagement through CVS, Burnley Leisure, Newground Together, mosques and churches. The aim is to recruit 50 new members and engage with 500 people overall between April and October 2026.
“This season, Burnley Cricket Club Juniors are taking a new approach through their A Culture of Cricket campaign.
“Cricket has long faced barriers including high costs, lengthy matches, and perceptions of elitism. With more than half of youth cricketers coming from private schools, the Juniors at Burnley Cricket Club are committed to challenging this imbalance.
“Our aim is to create an inclusive environment that welcomes all children—whether they are trying cricket for the first time or aspiring to follow in the footsteps of the Burnley Express James Anderson.”
Burnley Judo Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £4,000
Project: Judo mats
Burnley Judo Club’s project, “Back on the Mat: Rebuilding Burnley Judo Club”, is about re-establishing a long-standing club founded in 1951 after it had to vacate its former premises in 2025. During the club’s dormant period, its mats were badly damaged because there was nowhere suitable to store them, making it impossible to restart properly without new equipment. The funding will help the club purchase replacement mats for its new base at Burnley College, allowing regular training sessions to resume. At the point of application the club had 12 members, but it hopes to grow to around 50 and expand its offer to children, young people and adults from across Burnley. The club also plans to respond to demand by developing female-only sessions as part of a broader inclusive growth plan.
“Burnley Judo Club is incredibly grateful to receive support through the Pride in Place Impact Fund. Our club has always focused on creating a welcoming and friendly environment where everyone feels part of the community. Judo is more than just a sport to us – it’s a lifestyle that helps people build confidence, discipline and lasting friendships”
Burnley RUFC
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £3,000
Project: Pitch and training area improvements
Burnley RUFC’s £3,000 award comes in the club’s centenary year and supports a wider effort to improve the playing and training environment. The application describes a club with 364 members overall, around 250 junior members, two men’s sides and one women’s side, plus a community rugby coach working with schools and outreach projects. Funding will contribute to a new scrum machine to replace one dating back to 1995 that was recently destroyed by vandals, along with new post protectors and an electronic scoreboard. The club frames the investment as part of a bigger push to create a safer, more welcoming environment, support junior development and strengthen its role as a community anchor organisation.
“Burnley RUFC would like to extend our sincere thanks to Burnley council for supporting our project through the PiP fund. The funding for the scrum machine is greatly appreciated and will make a significant impact on our training and development.
This equipment will be used to support junior training, a safe way to start scrummaging, improving the club performance for years to come.
Thank you once again for your generosity & continued support”
Burnley United FC
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £4,000
Project: Pitch improvements
Burnley United FC is using its award as part of an improvement project at Barden Sports Facility. The funding will contribute towards new pitch maintenance machinery, replacing an existing ride-on tractor mower with equipment better suited to maintaining the surface all year round rather than only when the ground is closed in summer. New machinery will reduce the time needed for pitch preparation and make it easier to involve more volunteers, while improving the overall playing experience. The impact is expected to extend beyond the club’s current five teams, as the facility is also shared with Burnley Athletics Club and sits in a deprived, diverse and multicultural area of Burnley.
Burnley United FC also works with Daneshouse Football Club on community days and hosts cup finals that can attract more than 200 people for a single match.
Clarets Cheer and Dance
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £4,000
Project: Mats and hook roll
Clarets Cheer and Dance has received £4,000 for mats and hook roll equipment. The funding will support its training offer across a range of ages and abilities and improve the equipment available for current and future participants.
Cliviger Cricket Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £4,000
Project: Equipment
A £4,000 grant will help Cliviger Cricket Club invest in equipment to support grassroots cricket. The award is aimed at strengthening the club’s resources and helping it continue providing opportunities for local participation.
Fulledge Colts
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £3,500
Project: Equipment
Fulledge Colts has secured £3,500 for equipment. The funding will support the club’s ongoing development and help strengthen grassroots football provision in the local area.
Football Zone
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £4,000
Project: Upgrade facility to include new warm hub
Football Zone is using its £4,000 grant to upgrade its facility and create a new warm hub. The idea is to develop the site further as a welcoming community space as well as a sports venue, giving local people a safer and more accessible place to come together. The warm hub forms as part of a wider ambition to support residents facing isolation, disability or financial hardship, while continuing to use sport as a route into better physical and mental wellbeing.
“We’re absolutely delighted to receive this Pride in Place funding. This project is a huge step forward in transforming Football Zone into a true community hub, not just a sports facility.
By creating a warm, welcoming and accessible space, we’ll be able to support people of all ages and abilities — particularly those facing isolation, disability, or financial hardship.
It allows us to expand our social impact, provide a safe ‘Warm Hub’ for the local community, and continue using sport as a powerful tool to improve both physical and mental wellbeing.”
Hussania Cricket Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £1,500
Project: Cricket equipment
Since 1987, Hussania Cricket Club has been part of Burnley’s sporting life, and its £1,500 award will go towards much-needed cricket equipment. The funding will help the club continue creating opportunities for young people and the wider community to take part in sport, while building on its role in promoting healthy lifestyles and bringing people from different backgrounds together through cricket.
“We are very grateful to Burnley Council for supporting Hussainia Cricket Club through the Pride in Place Impact Fund. This funding will help us purchase much-needed cricket equipment and continue providing opportunities for young people and the wider community to take part in sport. The club has been part of Burnley’s community since 1987, and initiatives like this help grassroots organisations like ours to grow, promote healthy lifestyles, and bring people from different backgrounds together through cricket.”
Hunters Cricket Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £500
Project: Cricket equipment
Hunters Cricket Club has received a £500 grant for cricket equipment. The award will help the club strengthen the resources it has available for future activity and participation.
Padiham Football Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £3,500
Project: Equipment for pitch maintenance
A £3,500 award will support pitch maintenance equipment for Padiham Football Club, helping improve the quality and upkeep of the playing surface at the Ruby Civil Arena. The funding is intended to support the club’s ongoing work to maintain and improve its facilities.
Padiham Cricket Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £2,000
Project: All weather pitch
Padiham Cricket Club has received £2,000 towards its all-weather pitch project. The award will support improvements to the club’s facilities and help strengthen provision for current and future users.
Vanguard Table Tennis Club
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £2,000
Project: Equipment / venue hire / marketing
Vanguard Table Tennis Club’s funding will support the purchase of two new table tennis tables, plus the bats and balls needed to expand activity. The funding will support three new programme strands: an additional weekly training night, an active recovery offer using table tennis, and “Bat and Chat” sessions for over-50s. The project is designed to support vulnerable groups, improve physical and mental wellbeing and tackle gaps in low-cost, inclusive community sport. The club also identified unmet demand among older residents and people in substance misuse recovery, as well as interest from local schools and community groups looking for more accessible pathways into sport.
“Vanguard Table Tennis Club are extremely grateful for the support from Pride in Place Funding to help the club expand. Numbers of participants are rising so 2 additional tables will allow more people of all ages and ability to play the sport, right in the heart of a local community”
Warriors Discipline Academy
Funding: Grass Roots Sports Fund – £4,000
Project: Boxing equipment
Warriors Discipline Academy has received £4,000 for boxing equipment as part of a wider project to improve and refurbish its MMA training room in Burnley. The academy is a community-focused CIC that works with young people and adults through structured discipline, fitness and personal development programmes, with a particular focus on supporting those who may be at risk of exclusion, low confidence, poor mental health or antisocial behaviour.
The funding will help strengthen the academy’s training offer and improve the resources available at its Burnley base, where demand has grown rapidly and membership has risen to more than 200 people. The wider project includes replacing worn mats, upgrading boxing bags and improving the training environment so that sessions can continue safely and the space can better support the academy’s work on confidence, wellbeing and positive routines.
Rural Assets Fund
Cliviger Parish Council
Funding: Rural Assets Fund – £20,000
Project: Parking, pavilion repairs, cricket field and youth pod
Cliviger Parish Council has secured £20,000 for a package of improvements including parking, pavilion repairs, work to the cricket field and a youth pod. Together, these elements are intended to strengthen community assets in the parish and improve facilities for local residents.
Habergham Eaves / Burnley Golf Club
Funding: Rural Assets Fund – £20,000
Project: New level practice area
At Burnley Golf Club, a £20,000 Rural Assets award will support the creation of a new level practice area. The project is closely linked to the club’s junior academy and to the relationship between Burnley Golf Club and Habergham Eaves Parish Council, with the funding intended to create more opportunities for young people and strengthen community benefit from the site.
“We are delighted to be awarded this money for the benefit of youngsters in our parish. The parish council has a fantastic relationship with Burnley Golf Club and the junior academy has flourished under the watchful eye of Stuart Henderson, since its initial funding of £200 from the parish council. The Pride in Place money is a big boost for the project and will help make a bigger and better impact on the community. We are lucky in Habergham Eaves to have good strong links with the community through the golf club and our local police officers and this is another great example of what working together can achieve. Thank you to Steve Pickup from the golf club and Burnley Borough Council for helping put together the bid.”
Worsthorne Parish Council
Funding: Rural Assets Fund – £20,000
Project: Hurstwood Green, Gorple Road allotments and Worsthorne Village Green
Worsthorne Parish Council’s £20,000 award spans three linked projects, Hurstwood Green, Gorple Road allotments and Worsthorne Village Green. At Hurstwood Green, the next phase of work includes flood management, attenuation ponds, swales, rain gardens, biodiversity improvements, educational signage and extra seating to build on earlier track and landscape works. At Gorple Road allotments, the plans include creating more manageable plots, accessible parking and turning space, level pathways, raised beds, improved water supply, rainwater capture, fencing, gates, a community orchard and a storage shed. At Worsthorne Village Green, the project includes new benches and the refurbishment of the Olde Gaumless Lamp. Across all three sites, the parish council presents the work as part of a broader programme shaped by community consultation, with the aim of improving access, inclusion, biodiversity and the long-term value of these local spaces. The application estimates around 6,300 beneficiaries between March 2026 and March 2027.
Cllr. Mark Jinkinson, Chair, Worsthorne with Hurstwood Parish Council said:
“We are delighted to have been allocated a Pride in Place grant. We will be upgrading the track system at Hurstwood Green which has suffered from rainwater erosion for years. The grant will help solve that problem by introducing a drainage scheme and at the same time allow us to create a wonderful biodiverse habitat to encourage and support local wildlife and vegetation.
Part of the grant will also help fund improvements in our allotments and village centre.
These changes will reflect the main principle of the PiP strategy which aims to support community-driven local regeneration and strengthen social infrastructure.”
Canal & River Trust
Funding: Rural Assets Fund – £10,000
Project: Community hub and outdoor activity area
At Finsley Gate Wharf, Canal & River Trust is using its £10,000 award to turn a developing canal-side site into a stronger year-round community and wellbeing hub. The project, Campfire Conversations: Connecting Through Nature, will fund a permanent wooden gazebo, a smokeless fire pit and a community nature trail. The application says those improvements are designed to remove one of the site’s biggest current barriers, a lack of sheltered, permanent infrastructure, so activity is no longer restricted by weather and seasonality. The wider vision is ambitious: a place that can support paddling, walking, cycling, green gym, heritage skills, school visits, youth engagement, social prescribing, recovery pathways and informal community use. The Trust estimates 200 to 300 local people could benefit each year, with the infrastructure creating a lasting community asset rather than a short-term programme.
“We’re absolutely delighted to receive Pride in Place funding from Burnley Council for our Campfire Conversations project. As a charity, the Canal & River Trust cares for over 2,000 miles of canals and waterways across England and Wales, and we see first-hand the important role they play in supporting local communities and wellbeing.
Campfire Conversations brings people together outdoors to connect, share experiences and improve their wellbeing. This funding will enable us to deliver the project all year round, reaching more people in Burnley who may be feeling isolated and making a meaningful, lasting difference in the community.”
Jane Hargreaves, Enterprise Manager, Canal & River Trust.