Community Sports Foundation

What Community Sports Foundation does

Community Sports Foundation is a registered charity (No. 1088239) and the official community arm of Norwich City Football Club, headquartered at The Nest in Horsford, Norfolk. The Foundation delivers inclusive sport and wellbeing programmes targeting disadvantaged young people, people with disabilities (SEND), individuals experiencing mental health challenges, the 55+ population, and the armed forces community, alongside fee-paying family activities, school holiday camps, residential training courses, and major fundraising events such as Run Norwich. In 2024 it reported reaching over 45,000 unique participants, training 300+ volunteers, and generating £63 million in social value for Norfolk.

The operating model combines charitable delivery with light commercial activity. Programmes are delivered free or at low cost to participants at three owned facilities (The Nest, Brundall Sports Hub, and Carrow Park next to Norwich City's stadium) and through an in-school PPA cover service across Norfolk. Income is generated across five streams: donations and individual fundraising (including charity places in London Marathon and similar events), corporate partnerships and sponsorships, grant funding (e.g. Premier League Fans Fund, Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund, Geoffrey Watling Charity), facility hire, and retail via The Store at The Nest and an online store. Pricing is unit-based per programme (e.g. £2 Play & Eat per child, £30 Soccer Icon Camp, £100 team entry for the Blakely Canary Cup) or event-registration-plus-minimum-fundraising for challenge events.

The Foundation is led by CEO Ian Thornton OBE and a senior team spanning Fundraising, Finance, Inclusion, Football Operations, Strategy and Development, and Events. Strategic positioning is reinforced by the Norwich City FC association, the EFL Community Club of the Season 2025 award, multiple PFA Community Champion Awards, and a network of corporate partners including Norse Group, Lotus Cars, Kellogg's, Joma, and Persimmon Homes. There is no disclosed AI, software product, or proprietary technology stack; the underlying capability rests on community relationships, professional sport infrastructure, and operating know-how rather than technology.

Name

Community Sports Foundation

Legal name

Norwich City Community Sports Foundation

Website

https://communitysportsfoundation.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Community Sports Foundation is the official charity of Norwich City Football Club, delivering inclusive sport, wellbeing and community programmes across Norfolk from three facilities including The Nest, reaching over 45,000 participants in 2024.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sports & Wellbeing Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK), Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF), Disability & Adaptive Sports Organizations (Paralympic, Special Olympics) (MPAKACAH)

Keywords

• Community sports charity
• Inclusive disability programmes
• Youth mental health support
• Football foundation
• Community engagement services

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: One-off and recurring donations from individuals, plus participation in fundraising events such as Run Norwich, London Marathon, skydives, and challenge events
2. Corporate Partnerships: Businesses support the Foundation through charity of the year nominations, team-building events, and sponsorship of specific programmes
3. Facility Hire: The Nest, Brundall Sports Hub, and Carrow Park are available for external hire, providing vital income. A new full-size 3G pitch opened in 2024
4. Retail - The Store: Retail space at The Nest selling second-hand sports gear, Foundation kit, and Run Norwich merchandise
5. Grants and Awards: Funding from organisations including Premier League Fans Fund, Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund (£90,000 grant), and Geoffrey Watling Charity

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Community Sports Foundation delivers community sport, physical activity, educational, and wellbeing programmes targeting people with disabilities, those facing mental health challenges, disadvantaged young people, and the armed forces community across Norfolk. It operates a network of owned facilities (The Nest, Brundall Sports Hub, Carrow Park, The Box) and generates revenue through individual donations, corporate partnerships, grants, facility hire, and a retail store selling kit and second-hand sports gear. The Foundation runs major fundraising events such as Run Norwich and the London Marathon and provides a School Sport Programme offering PPA cover to Norfolk schools.

Product overview

The Community Sports Foundation is Norwich City FC's official charity operating as a platform of community-focused programmes and facilities. The offering comprises inclusive sports and wellbeing programmes (Realising Potential, Run For Me, Extra Time, Walking Football), youth development pathways (Football Development Programme, Premier League Kicks, Soccer Schools), mental health support (Team Talk, Run for Me), Armed Forces support (Coffee and Comrades), family services (Play & Eat, Kids Courses), major fundraising events (Run Norwich), training residentials (Train Like A Pro), and retail/facility operations (The Store, The Box, The Nest, Brundall Sports Hub, Carrow Park). The Foundation generated £63 million in social value for Norfolk in 2024.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Run Norwich: A record-breaking 10k fundraising event organized by the Foundation
• MyClub
• The Nest
• Realising Potential
• Run For Me
• Duncan's Club
• Extra Time
• Play and Eat

Products and services

• Realising Potential Inclusive disability and SEND programme for people with physical and learning disabilities, providing multi-sport sessions, educational support, CV writing workshops, and volunteering opportunities. For children and adults with disabilities aged 5+.
• Run For Me Community running group focused on supporting mental health and wellbeing, providing participants with regular exercise opportunities and social connections.
• Extra Time Physical and social programme for men and women aged 55 and over, rotating through different sports to prevent inactivity in later life.
• Premier League Kicks Sports sessions and educational workshops for young people including knife crime and criminal exploitation awareness, with incentives for engagement.
• Coffee and Comrades Monthly coffee morning for veterans and serving personnel providing a space to share experiences, held at The Nest on the last Friday of each month.
• Play & Eat Weekday afternoon programme offering outdoor play activities followed by freshly cooked meals for children and families.
• Walking Football Football programme helping older people stay active through modified walking football sessions.
• Kids Courses Term-time and school holiday activities for children aged 2-14, providing affordable childcare and a safe environment for children to be active.
• Summer of Football Summer holiday football camps and activities for children, delivered in partnership with Kellogg's via the EFL.
• Train Like A Pro Residential Three-day residential football camps for boys, girls, and goalkeepers offering professional coaching, overnight accommodation, strength and conditioning sessions, and stadium tours.
• The Nest facility hire Community venue serving as the central hub for community programmes, featuring 3G pitches, The Box, and The Store. Available for external hire for sports bookings and events.
• Brundall Sports Hub facility hire Sports facility operated by the Foundation providing additional venues for community programmes and external hire.
• Carrow Park facility hire Small-sided 3G pitch and studio next to Norwich City Football Club, used by Foundation programmes and the public.
• The Box State-of-the-art health and wellbeing facility at The Nest with interactive and adaptive equipment, serving as a fitness centre, classroom, or community hub.
• School Sport Programme Paid sports and PPA cover service delivered directly in schools across Norfolk, providing cost-effective PE provision to primary and secondary schools.
• Run Norwich Annual 10K fundraising running event held in Norwich, serving as the Foundation's flagship mass-participation fundraiser.
• TCS London Marathon Charity Place Charity place entry in the TCS London Marathon, requiring a £100 registration fee and a £2,500 minimum fundraising pledge for the Foundation.
• Inflatable 5k Obstacle Course Tiered obstacle-course fundraising event with adult and child entries from 2.5k through 15k plus minimum fundraising requirements.
• Blakely Canary Cup Champions League-style 6-a-side football tournament at The Nest, hosted with Blakely as partner. Entry is £100 per team (max 9 players).
• The Store (retail) Retail space at The Nest offering second-hand sports gear, equipment across multiple sports, Foundation kit, and Run Norwich merchandise to support sustainability initiatives.
• Foundation x Joma Training Wear Brand-new 2025/26 training range produced in partnership with Joma (Norwich City's technical kit partner), including shirts, shorts, socks, sweatshirts, rain jackets, and training bottoms sold via The Store.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reached 45,000+ unique participants in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles7 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• JomacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Technical kit partner of Norwich City FC, producing brand-new 2025/26 Foundation training range. Collection includes shirts, shorts, socks, sweatshirts, rain jackets and training bottoms with exclusive package deals.
• BlakelyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Partners with Norwich City FC to host first Blakely Canary Cup, a Champions League-style 6-a-side football tournament at The Nest.
• Kellogg'scoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Partnership with EFL delivering Kellogg's Football Camps with over 30,000 free places across 70+ clubs. Foundation hosts free summer camps for children aged 5-15 in Norfolk.
• Norse GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner working with the Foundation to deliver meaningful outcomes for communities across Norfolk. Supports Armed Forces community initiatives including Coffee and Comrades and Armed Forces Day events.
• Reed WellbeingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner offering free NHS health checks at Carrow Road twice a month, supporting the Healthy Fans initiative.
• Lotus CarscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartners with Foundation for Family Fun Day and Lap Lotus Challenge at Lotus headquarters in Hethel. Challenge invites participants to walk/run around the South Circuit test track.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Tottenham Hotspur Foundation: Official charity of Tottenham Hotspur delivering sport-for-development programmes in north London with similar EFL/Premier League corporate and grant funding profile.
• Manchester United Foundation: Charity arm of Manchester United FC running football-led education, health, and community programmes nationwide; comparable EFL-tier football club charity structure and funding mix.
• Manchester City Foundation (City in the Community): Official charity of Manchester City FC delivering sport-based community programmes across inclusion, education, and health — structurally identical model to CSF with similar Premier League/EFL exposure.
• Chelsea Foundation: Official charitable arm of Chelsea FC running inclusion, education, and health-focused sport programmes — directly comparable football club foundation model.
• Liverpool FC Foundation: Official charity of Liverpool FC providing sport-based programmes for health, education, and inclusion — directly comparable in scale, structure, and programme mix.
• Everton in the Community: Official charity of Everton FC delivering football-led health, education, disability, and hardship programmes — near-identical structure to CSF, anchored to a single club.
• Leicester City Foundation: Official charity of Leicester City FC delivering community sport programmes in health, education, and inclusion with similar EFL funding mechanisms and award profile.
• Newcastle United Foundation: Charitable arm of Newcastle United FC running sport-for-development programmes in education, health, and inclusion — directly comparable football club foundation model with similar regional footprint.
• West Ham United Foundation: Charity of West Ham United FC delivering sport-based health, education, and inclusion programmes in East London; structurally and operationally comparable to CSF.
• Arsenal Foundation: Official charitable arm of Arsenal FC running sport-based education, inclusion, and health programmes; comparable Premier League club foundation operating across multiple verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=HtrrQ54MRWI
• Xx.com/NorwichCityCSF
• Facebookfacebook.com/communitysportsfoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norwich-city-community-sports-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Community Sports Foundation