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APPLICATIONS FOR PERIOD 1 OF THE 2024/25 SEASON -will open on August 1st 2024

YEL Community – an initiative by your league to help support YOU, our YEL member clubs and teams

Reinvesting in our members

The league continues to grow year on year allowing us to deliver competitive football to every team that plays in the YEL. Players are challenged at similar ability levels creating good close games which encourages player development and provides many with a rewarding experience.

In order for the league to function successfully and continue to deliver high standards of professionalism week in week out, it has become essential to apply the league rules strictly to ensure everyone is following the same operating procedures.

We appreciate clubs and teams are run by volunteers of varying skill levels. We will always try and help anyone who struggles with the administration – just ask; we’re here to help. Rules do however need to be followed to allow the smooth running of the league. Fines will be levied as an ‘encouragement’ to get everyone doing things correctly.

SUPPORT FOR OUR FOOTBALL COMMUNITY

“We do not want to fine teams/clubs as this takes money out of grassroots football however, we will always apply the rules that the members set and agree to at the AGM each year.“

Rob Harwood CEO

Clubs supported by YEL Community Fund in 2021

The income from fines has been discussed by the YEL Board and we are delighted to announce that we will be making an investment back into the YEL community.

We have decided that up to £11,000 each year (a lesser amount if less than £11,000 income is received in fines) will be ring fenced for this purpose. It has further been agreed that this fines income will be split on a £6,000/£5,000 basis between two initiatives – YEL Community Fund and YEL Development Fund.

YEL Community Fund

This fund will be open to YEL member clubs for grants from £25 up to a maximum of £250. The fund will be administered by the YEL Community Fund panel. This group comprises volunteers selected from parents, referees and club officials who will decide on the suitability/award of grants

Examples of potential grant applications, but not limited to, that clubs may wish to consider – donations to ground improvement projects; donations to replace kit/equipment as a result of uninsured theft; vandalism of uninsured buildings; Donations to charitable causes involving players/coaches within a YEL member club/team.

There will be four allocation periods each season where funds for grants totalling a maximum of £1,500 will be made available for distribution in each of the periods giving a potential annual total of £6,000.

The allocation periods will have the following deadlines:

VISIT YEL SCORELINE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION

A limit of £250 will be set for any application.

‘YOUR YEL HELPING

YOUR CLUB AND

YOUR MEMBERS

IN DIFFICULT TIMES‘

YEL Development Fund

This fund will be used by the league for a variety of purposes which will have wide ranging direct and indirect benefits to YEL member clubs.

Examples of uses, but not limited to, will include the support referees in terms of recruitment and development; Recruitment/training of club match officials; Recruitment/payment for the services of Respect Field Officers; Running of/payment for courses on diversity, mental health and wellbeing, discrimination, racism, anti-bullying for YEL Staff and member clubs.

It is hoped that this initiative will have long term direct and indirect benefits for our member clubs and teams within the league and is part of our ongoing commitment to deliver the best youth football in the country.

Any Club/team can apply for a grant of between £25 and £250 from the YEL Community Fund but this MUST be applied for by a club official – Chair, Secretary, Treasurer or Welfare Officer.

In light of the limited amount of funding available and the desire of YEL Community to share the available funding as equitably as possible amongst the 180+ member clubs, only one application will be successful per club per season.

Clubs who make an unsuccessful application, can reapply or make a fresh application for a different purpose, in the next grant application window.

The YEL Community Fund panel reserves the right to make a grant of a lower/higher amount than requested on the application as it deems appropriate.

YEL Community Fund panel members are automatically removed from decisions where they have a connection to the applicant club.

Data Protection. All applications will be treated in confidence and we will follow our Data Protection Policy in line with the Data Protection Act (1998)

Successful applications will be required to use their social media sites to publicise that they have received a grant from the YEL Community Fund. A generic ‘YEL Community Fund Successful application’ image and wording will be sent to out with the email advising of a successful grant application.

We will use the information you give us on the application form to:

  • Assess the application
  • Monitor the progress of projects
  • Evaluate our funding programme to assess its effectiveness
  • Produce a report to the membership at the end of the year

Fraud Policy – In the unlikely event that we believe an application has been made fraudulently, we will use and pass on to the Police, any information provided on the application form, which may be helpful in identifying fraudulent activity.

If you wish to make an application for a grant from the YEL Community Fund, please log into Scoreline and select YEL Community Fund from the left hand menu.

‘I AM VERY PROUD OF YEL COMMUNITY – A LEAGUE INITIATIVE TO HELP SUPPORT OUR MEMBER CLUBS’

Our member clubs are the backbone of grassroots football in the East Midlands. They provide football on a weekly basis to many thousands of youngsters. We applaud this ongoing commitment from the army of dedicated volunteers and are delighted to offer our support through the work of YEL Community.