An emergency donation has been made to a sports association after it has been plagued with months of troubles.

The Bungay District Sports Association (BDSA) has not only been hard hit by the pandemic, but has also been the victim of numerous break-ins and burglaries throughout lockdown.

But a £9,000 donation from National Lottery funding as part of Sport England’s community emergency fund will help get the association back up and running.

The BDSA make up the Bungay Town football club, Bungay cricket club, and Bungay tennis club, providing spaces for people to take part in sport and compete in leagues.

Jon Fuller, BDSA chairman, said: “This grant will allow us to remain solvent over the summer and hopefully until grassroots football is allowed to restart.

“We are heavily reliant on bar and catering sales to help us pay our bills, as well as income from people hiring Maltings Meadow Pavilion or holding fundraising events. All of this income has dried up over the past few months but the bills keep coming in.”

In May the BDSA was targeted twice vandals who destroyed their football nets in one attack, and who also by thieve who stole thousands of pounds worth of gardening and sports equipment, including a mower worth £3,000.

“As restrictions begin to ease, we hope to be able to re-start some sporting and social activity over the coming months but this is not yet certain. We are incredibly grateful to Sport England and the Community Emergency Fund for this funding in the intervening period,” Mr Fuller said.

Sport England’s chief executive, Tim Hollingworth, said: “We are proud to be able to provide vital funding to Bungay and District Sports Association to help it through these extremely challenging times.

“The £20m Community Emergency fund, made possible by National Lottery players, is part of a multimillion-pound package of support we are providing to ease the pressure on a huge number of the organisations who are central to the nation’s health and wellbeing.”

Limited tennis, cricket nets and football training have recommenced in line with government guidelines, and the BDSA add they hope to reopen their pavilion at some point in July.