Darts star surprises deaf sport team with share of £400,000 as Cash4Clubs returns with significant grassroots funding
British darts star Chris Dobey surprised a Sunderland deaf sports team by turning up on their door to announce they had won thousands of pounds of vital funding from Flutter UKI.
Dobey, who hails from nearby Bedlington in Northumberland, thrilled the Sunderland Deaf Society’s Darts team by joining them for a practice session at The Victory — the only deaf-run pub in the UK.
The team will receive a £2,000 ‘Cash4Clubs’ grant which will fund training gear and cover the costs of competing in tournaments, including the Deaf Darts Organisation’s Grand Slam in Leicester in July.
They are one of 200 lucky clubs, running activities from American Football to Zumba, to secure a share of £400,000 of vital funding from Flutter UKI — home to Paddy Power, Sky Betting & Gaming, Betfair and tombola.
Dobey shared some words of wisdom with the players thanks to the help of a sign language interpreter and admitted the visit had a far bigger impact on him than expected.
‘It was really humbling to see the passion this team has for darts and to understand how important it is to them,’ said the world No 8.
Chris Dobey said his visit to the Sunderland deaf darts club had left him feeling humbled
The world No 8 shared some pointers with the team, using a sign-language interpreter
‘It’s much more than a sport; it’s a social outlet and a place to build friendships.
‘Obviously when I’m on the oche, you feed off the noise of the crowd and the atmosphere. I’ve just never considered what it must be like not to be able to hear that or how isolating living in a silent world might be.’
Deaf Darts team member player Darren Davison explained why financial support for his team is so important:
‘I played with hearing teams before, and I just couldn’t communicate with them,’ said Davison.
‘I felt really alone and isolated. Being part of this team means we can communicate with one another, make friends, and have shared interests. It’s a very different experience.’
Founded almost 20 years ago, Cash4Clubs has invested nearly £6.5 million into grassroots and community sport with the aim of driving participation, improving facilities or helping clubs and charities purchase new equipment.
Other winners this year include the Swindon Storm American Football Club in the South-West, who discovered they had won a grant when a message from NFL legend Rob Gronkowski flashed up on a big screen during a Super Bowl party they attended last month.
Parkinson’s Ninja C.I.C on Merseyside is another to receive a £2,000 grant, with the money going towards running exercise classes for those suffering from a condition impacting the lives of over 150,000 people across the UK.
The team one of 200 lucky clubs to secure a share of £400,000 of funding from Flutter UKI
Dobey said the club offered its members ‘a social outlet and a place to build friendships’
The Wales Armed Forces Veterans Football Club hopes to use their Cash4Clubs grant to help them realise their ambitions of competing in the 2026 Veterans World Cup. Meanwhile, the Long Furlong Horse Riding for the Disabled club in East Sussex will use the grant to buy indoor mounted games equipment.
Dame Caroline Dinenage, Conservative MP and chair of the cross-party Culture Media and Sport Select Committee explained why schemes like Cash4Clubs make such a difference across the country.
‘We launched an enquiry into the health of sport in local communities last year because of the worrying lack of facilities across England and Wales and declining participation rates,’ said Dame Caroline.
‘Taking part in sport and physical activity is vital for fitness and well-being and I applaud Flutter UKI for their commitment to the cause with the Cash4Clubs scheme. It’s great to see the wide range of clubs that will benefit from the funding this year.’
Flutter UKI worked with leading UK community sports charity Sported to deliver the Cash4Clubs programme. A particular emphasis this year was put on bids that from clubs seeking to drive participation in sports and fitness.
Last year’s Cash4Clubs programme saw an extra 9,000 people engage in health and fitness from dance to wheelchair rugby, archery and swimming.
Kevin Harrington, Chief Executive of Flutter UKI, said Cash4Clubs initiative was a key part of the group’s global commitment to improve the lives of 10million people in the communities where it operates by 2030 as part of their Positive Impact Plan.
‘Community clubs are the bedrock of sport in the UK and Ireland, and we are committed to doing everything we can to help these smaller organisations continue to make a big difference to people’s lives,’ said Harrington.
