The Angus Irvine Playing Fields Fund (AIPFF) exists to increase opportunities for young people in disadvantaged areas to play sport and enjoy its many benefits.

Our story

It provides much needed grant funding to community clubs, many of which are volunteer led. This, in turn, enables them to transform the lives of underserved young people in their local communities.

It was formed by the merger into Access Sport of the charity formerly known as the Playing Fields Legacy Fund.

The Playing Fields Legacy Fund (PFLF) was a charity established by the late Angus Irvine in 2012, prompted by what he felt was a failure of the 2012 London Olympics to provide the promised legacy for grassroots sport. Angus had previously been involved, in an advisory capacity, to the National Playing Fields Association (now Fields in Trust).

Over a period of 5 years the charity, led by Angus, raised hundreds of thousands of pounds and invested the funds into vital facilities for scores of community sports clubs.

Fundamental to the way Angus ran the fund was a passion for maximising resources for grassroots sport, helping volunteers develop community sports facilities and enabling team sports to reach many more disadvantaged young people who might otherwise be attracted by gangs or anti-social behaviour. He was passionate about the potential of community sport to engage young people and avoid them falling into crime.

Sadly, Angus passed away in 2015 but his work continued, led by the committed trustees of the charity and by his children and grandchildren.
To fully capitalise on what Angus achieved, in 2018 the trustees decided to join forces with Access Sport and form the AIPFF, a restricted fund within Access Sport [Registered charity number 1156819].

Access Sport are experts in the development of inclusive sport. They train, equip and support community sports clubs, organisations and volunteers to provide inclusive programmes, unleashing their potential to transform the lives of underserved young people in their local communities. The Access Sport team helps to ensure funds reach the projects that need them the most, as well as providing additional advisory and development support to the clubs which the AIPFF supports.

Angus’s children and grandchildren continue the remarkable fundraising that Angus started and a committee, formed of Access Sport and Irvine family representatives, oversee this fund, managing the distribution of grants and acting as custodians of Angus’s legacy for the long-term.

The Irvine family remain passionate advocates for the power of community clubs to have a transformational impact on the lives of the children and young people they support.

A committee, formed of Irvine family and Access Sport representatives, oversee the AIPFF, managing the distribution of grants and acting as custodians of Angus’s legacy for the long-term.

Meet our committee

Frank Sale

Frank, the grandson of Angus Irvine, Chairs the AIPFF committee, leads on fundraising activity and takes a strong personal interest in all the projects supported.

He works in television production and is Managing Director of HBA Media.

Alice Clark

Alice, the daughter of Angus Irvine, works closely with Frank on all fundraising activity, as well as donor management and communications.

She is the Manager of Willow on the Farm Nursery in Banbury and a committed supporter of the AIPFF.

Tom Dixon

Access Sport Fundraising and Communications Director

Tom is Director of Fundraising and Communications at Access Sport. His role is to involve as many people and companies as possible in opportunities to fund vital, inclusive and transformational sporting programmes and to communicate the positive impact these have on the communities they serve.

Helen Rowbotham

Access Sport CEO

Helen joined Access Sport as Chief Executive in January 2022. She is passionate about making inclusion the norm in community sport and is also a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of the British Paralympic Association.

Before joining Access Sport, Helen was Director of Innovation and then Director of Rowing Community and Strategy at British Rowing where she had a remit to support the rowing community, broaden the appeal of the sport and drive growth. This included leading British Rowing’s equality, diversity and inclusion work, as well as creating the Go Row Indoor programme, and forming Love Rowing, British Rowing’s new Charitable Foundation.

Nia Rowlands

Access Sport Finance Director

Nia joined Access Sport in 2021 and is responsible for the sound financial management of the organisation, including financial reporting to senior leadership, to the Trustees, and to funders, as well as providing support and advice to all staff about budgeting and fundraising proposals.

Nia’s background is predominately in public sector and charity finance, having spent 9 years as Head of Finance at The International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2 years in the Commercial Business Partnering team at Action for Children and 5 years at an NHS Trust.

Andrew Agnew

Andrew Agnew

Andrew spent 40 years in the Lloyd’s insurance market and immediately prior to his retirement in 2018 was chairman of Gallagher Specialty as well as the London and International Insurance Brokers Association. In addition to his involvement with AIPFF he is also a non-executive director at Cogent International insurance brokers.

Andrew knew Angus Irvine well and has always been a keen advocate for the protection and promotion of deprived inner-city sporting facilities.