Devon FA to crowdfund cash for clubs

Devon Football Association are set to be the first FA in the UK to crowdfund money for its 635 clubs, 1,750 teams, supporting its 27,000 members across the County.

Across the next 12 months Devon FA hopes its pioneering Crowdfunder campaign could raise thousands of pounds for local clubs in need of funding for a wide range of projects - from small sums for kit to larger capital projects.

Each football club will decide what it needs to crowdfund funds for.

"Typically our football clubs need money to send junior teams on tour, pitch upkeep, upgrading facilities, women's football, disability sport support and kit," said Paul Morrison, Chief Executive from Devon FA.

One of the first projects to launch a crowdfunding campaign will be the popular Plymouth Bar Sol Ona Football Club, who need at least £20k to build a new stand in the City. Their Crowdfunder campaign launches very soon.

'We are hugely excited about the potential of our Devon FA crowdfunding campaign," said Paul Morrison, from Devon FA. "Our football clubs really are at the heart of the community and play a vital role on so many levels. Our crowdfunding campaign will unlock further support for these clubs, providing vital equipment and support for members. We're proud that Devon FA is the first in the UK to lead a crowdfunding campaign that will help local clubs become sustainable."

"This is a UK first and could be a real game-changer for football associations," said Phil Geraghty, MD of Crowdfunder. "To crowdfund a whole county's football clubs is an ambition we've had for some time. We're delighted to pioneer this idea in Devon, a County that has supported Crowdfunder from the start."

"We're delighted to see the power of crowdfunding being used to support football communities across the County," said David Coslett, Interim Vice Chancellor and Chief Exec of Plymouth University. "As a founding partner of Crowdfunder, we pleased to see another national first being achieved here in Devon."

Crowdfunder is the UK's No 1 crowdfunding platform and has raised over £5.5 million for community projects, businesses and charities across the UK. Crowdfunder partners include Plymouth University, Nesta and Creative England.

To see how the campaign works go to: http://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/campaign/devonfootball/ or follow @devon_fa