About FANS
Free Access for National Sportspeople - FANS
UPDATE: The New FANS Scheme
As you are aware the administration of the F.A.N.S scheme has been suspended whilst the Sussex County Sports Partnership seeks to establish a new administering body. This change is due to a decrease in funding from Sport England to County Sports Partnerships, which resulted in a loss in capacity to deliver this scheme.
As the scheme is in jeapordy, the Universities of Brighton and Sussex have combined forces and have agreed to take over the administrative functions and financial costs of delivering F.A.N.S. Both Universities have a long history of supporting Elite athletes through their own internal scholarship and bursary programmes and understand the value that a scheme such as F.A.N.S has in athlete development. As part of the agreement the Universities will set up a Steering Group which will consist of University representatives, County Sports Partnership Representation, National Governing Body of Sport representation, leisre facility provider representation and Sport Aid Foundation representation.
One of the first priorities for this group will be communicating the changes to the scheme to F.A.N.S card holders, National Governing Body officers and the leisure facility providers who so kindly provide access to their facilities. We hope to be able to develop and expand the scheme but in this interim period some difficult decisions will have to be made about who we have the capacity to support. We have had to review the eligibility criteria of the current scheme to reduce costs and to better reflect national Governing Body of Sport Whole Sport Plans and initially, I am afraid that Masters Level athletes will no longer be able to be supported by the scheme. This will be implemented by a gradual phasing out of eligibility for this category. Existing Masters level athletes will be able to maintain their current F.A.N.S status but will not be able to apply for renewal.
The Sussex County Sports Partnership will continue to provide marketing and promotion for the scheme for the time being. Further details when they are available will be posted on this web page.
Should you have any questions please contact Matthew Warwick FANS Scheme Co-ordinator:
Matt Warwick
Sports Development Co-ordinator
Sportcentre
University of Sussex
BN1 9RB
E-mail: sussexfans@hotmail.co.uk
Are you aware of the F.A.N.S. scheme in Sussex?
All Local Authorities have signed up to the scheme to allow free access to any Local Authority run leisure and sports facility in Sussex. There are of course some criteria that do have to be met before an application can be accepted. Check them below to see if you qualify, or perhaps know someone that might qualify, and so can help save money on training costs.
How to Apply
If you would like to apply for FANS membership, please click here to download the application form. Please print out the form, complete it, and return to the address shown on the form, remembering to include 2 passport photographs and evidence from your National Governing Body as requested on the form.
Criteria for eligibility
• You must be resident in Sussex
• Your sports governing body (NGB) must be one of those recognised by Sport England (please click here for a full list), and then any or all of the following:
• To have represented your country (as selected by the NGB for your sport) during the past year only;
• To be part of a national development squad (as selected by the NGB for your sport) during the past year only;
• Be in the top 10 of your sports national ranking lists for any age group / level (as produced by the NGB for your sport) the most current list only;
• In addition to the criteria above, you must be prepared to help your Local Authority with any sports promotion if requested.
Free access is at the discretion of the manager of the facility, and is for training at off-peak times - it is not a right.
