Cost of living crisis hits sport as grass-roots clubs forced to close by rising costs
Video report by ITV News Anglia's Sarah Cooper
Two-thirds of sports clubs are having to make changes to meet the cost of soaring energy bills, new research shows - with some having no choice but to close.
The charity Sported UK said over half a million under-18s are at risk of being priced out of the clubs they depend on, and has launched a campaign to make sure they can still play.
For some clubs, the mounting costs have already become too much - including Corby Rugby Club in Northamptonshire, where over 60 years of history will come to an end on Saturday when it shuts its doors for the last time.
In a statement on Facebook the club said rising energy bills and the costs of running the clubhouse had simply become too much. After cancelling training and closing the clubhouse, the club found itself struggling for players.
"It is with a heavy heart, that we inform you that Corby Rugby Club’s mammoth journey that started in 1958 has come to an end," it said on Facebook.
"Rest assured, we have tried our best and have been fighting tooth and nail to keep the club going over the last few years, but rugby as you all know requires the numbers to be able to field a team."
The rugby club is far from the only one that has been struggling.
Cambridgeshire non-league football club Soham Town Rangers celebrated its centenary last year.
The club is currently on a fixed-price energy deal but that ends in a year's time.
To try to save money the club is looking at moving its Saturday kick-off time so it does not have to switch the electric flood lights on.
“We’re looking at moving matches forward from 3pm kick off to 2pm kick off which means we won't have to put the floodlights on, which is a saving in itself - every little helps really," said Hannah Firek from the club.
“We don't actually know what's going to happen. People are trying to save money themselves because their bills are going up. It is worrying as to whether they want to come out.
"We rely on our community to help us keep this place going and we want to support them and we want them to support us.
"It is really worrying and in the back of your mind is - are we going to be next?"
At Cromer Tennis Club in Norfolk energy bills are set to increase from £4,000 last year to £17,000.
The club said it was trying to be more imaginative in increasing its membership - including cutting playing fees in half for the next seven months.
"We felt we just had to cut our prices by half for the rest of our membership year if we were going to attract any members at all," club chairman Kelvin van Hasselt said.
"It is incredibly tough because this particular area is a low income area," he said, adding that some parents had been struggling to afford the fees.
"It is a really sad story when they can't do that so we have got to reduce prices to get them on the tennis court.
"Without people coming into the club paying for the courts, paying for coaching, buying a coffee while they are here, we wouldn't survive."
Football finance expert Keiran Maguire told ITV News Anglia that rising bills will have an impact on grassroots football - and to a far greater extent than is being reported.
"From the sports club's point of view, they're dependent upon match day and annual subs, they're dependent on the clubhouse generating money, pre, during and after the match." he said.
"People simply haven't got the money to pay the subs, they've not got the money to buy what's available in the clubhouse in terms of food and drink, and then a little bit of the community disappears."
Sported UK have now launched a campaign called Keep the Doors Open to ensure young people in particular can continue to enjoy sport.
Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know