rmer England fast bowler and Strictly Come Dancing winner Darren Gough is backing a new £75,000 fund that has been set up to support grassroots sports clubs in rural England.

The Gigaclear Rural Sports Club Fund has been launched by the UK’s largest rural alternative broadband provider and aims to help local clubs on its network to flourish by helping purchase much-needed sports equipment.

Darren, who is currently Managing Director of Cricket at Yorkshire, has agreed to be a fund ambassador. He said many sports clubs – particularly those in rural areas – were struggling to keep afloat despite the important role they play in the social fabric of small communities.

The former Yorkshire, Essex and England legend said: “Local clubs offer valuable opportunities for people of all ages to enjoy the many benefits that come with playing sport. It can have a positive impact on mental health and physical wellbeing and, who knows, it could also help nurture the aspirations of a future England player, whether that’s in football, rugby or cricket.”

Darren grew up in the small Yorkshire village of Monk Bretton and, at the age of eight, joined the local cricket club. He said: “Within two years, I was in the first team. I also enjoyed playing football as a youngster but there wasn’t really a football club locally so my dad helped set one up, called Belmont FC. It’s amazing just how much local clubs rely on parents and the wider community to stay afloat. This includes raising money to help pay for sports equipment, which can often be prohibitively expensive. I’m really excited to be getting behind this initiative.”

Gigaclear Head of Marketing Andrew Brotherton said: “We’re delighted to launch the Gigaclear Rural Sports Club Fund and to have Darren Gough on board as an ambassador.

“Darren is one of many to have benefitted from being part of a rural sports club when they were growing up and he knows just how difficult it is for many of them to afford even the most basic equipment such as goal posts, rugby tackling pads or bowling machines. Gigaclear is on a mission to provide rural villages and towns with the full fibre broadband that they deserve and we are now proud to also be able to help their local sports invest in the sports equipment they deserve.”

To find out more about the Fund, and who’s eligible to apply, please visit www.gigaclear.com/ruralsportsclubfund