Sported

What Sported does

Sported is a UK-registered charity (Sported Foundation, charity numbers 1123313 and SC043161) that supports over 5,000 grassroots sports clubs and community groups across England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. The organisation provides free support services aimed at making these groups more sustainable, more inclusive, and higher-impact, focusing particularly on clubs in deprived and underserved areas that mainstream funders often overlook. Its stated reach extends to 500,000+ young people engaged across 90+ sports and physical activities.

The core service bundle comprises: (1) the Sported Network, a membership community; (2) the Sported Hub, a self-serve online platform delivering guides, webinars, workshops, and monthly funding bulletins; (3) Volunteer Consultant Support, providing one-to-one professional mentorship on governance, fundraising, HR, and business planning; (4) Grant Distributions channelling partner funds to member clubs; and (5) a proprietary Capacity Measurement Tool that scores groups across five organisational dimensions, with member groups on average showing an 8% capacity increase after engagement. Since April 2020, Sported has awarded 75 grants and directly supported 1,029 groups.

Sported's business model is a non-commercial charity model: all services to beneficiary groups are provided free of charge, with no pricing model or fees to members. Income is generated entirely from grant funding (Sport England, Sport Wales, the National Lottery, Westminster Foundation, Garfield Weston, Moondance Foundation, Halifax Foundation NI), corporate partnerships (Nike, Knight Frank, Nissan, Great Run Company, People's Postcode Lottery, Howden Insurance), and charitable donations. The go-to-market is community-led and hybrid: digital self-serve through the Hub, combined with direct field engagement by regional and national managers across all four UK nations, supplemented by a network of professional volunteers. In 2025, the organisation launched its 'Unleashed' 2025-29 strategy alongside a refreshed brand identity to scale its impact.

Name

Sported

Legal name

Sported Foundation

Website

https://sported.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sported is a UK-registered charity that supports over 5,000 grassroots sports clubs and community groups across all four UK nations, providing free services including funding access, volunteer consultancy, training, and online resources to improve their sustainability, inclusivity, and community impact.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Grassroots Sports Charity Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE), Sport-Specific Amateur Leagues & Circuits (Non-Professional) (MPAKACAJ)

Keywords

• Community sports support
• Grassroots sports funding
• Capacity building services
• Volunteer consulting services
• Sports club network

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Sported receives grant funding from corporate partners, charitable foundations, and government bodies (such as Sport England and Sport Wales) to distribute to its network of community sports groups and to fund its own operations supporting those groups.
2. Charitable Donations: Sported receives donations from individuals and organisations to support its mission of supporting grassroots sport and community groups across the UK.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Sported is a UK-registered charity that provides free support services to over 5,000 grassroots sports clubs and community groups across the United Kingdom. Its core offering includes funding access and grant distribution, capacity building, training and education, advocacy, and an online resource hub, all delivered via regional teams, professional volunteer consultants, and the Sported Hub digital platform. The charity focuses on groups in deprived or underserved communities that fall outside mainstream sport funding.

Product overview

Sported is a UK-wide charity and the largest network of grassroots sports organizations, operating as a unified support service rather than a modular platform. The core offering is the Sported Network, which provides free support to over 5,000 grassroots sports clubs and community groups. Key service components include the digital Sported Hub platform with resources and guides, Volunteer Consultant Support providing one-to-one professional mentorship, grant distributions through partner funding programs, and a Capacity Measurement Tool for impact assessment. These services work together to help clubs achieve sustainability, become more inclusive, and maximize their community impact.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sported Network
• Sported Hub
• Volunteer Consultant Support
• Grant Distributions
• Capacity Measurement Tool

Quantifiable outcome

• Groups increase their capacity score by 8% on average after receiving Sported support
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered major, supporting and core.

• Great Run CompanymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 February 2026The Great Run Company (founded by Sir Brendan Foster, organisers of the AJ Bell Great North Run) has partnered with Sported to channel grant funds and hands-on support directly to grassroots clubs in the North East of England. The Great Run Community Fund aims to boost clubs working hardest to break down barriers to participation.
• CIMSPA (Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity)majorTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2026Through this partnership, Sported's team in Wales will strengthen workforce development across the grassroots sport sector. The collaboration will equip Sported staff and volunteer consultants with professional recognition, training, and development opportunities, and create pathways for volunteers and club leaders to develop their skills.
• Howden Insurance GroupmajorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2026Howden Insurance Cardiff will focus on corporate volunteering and skills-based support, with colleagues joining Sported's Volunteer Consultant network to work directly with grassroots clubs. The partnership introduces 'Howden Hot Seat' sessions for Sported Wales' network of community sports groups.
• Knight FrankmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2025Knight Frank, a leading global real estate consultancy, has established a three-year partnership with Sported to grow its Limitless social impact programme, providing strategic support and potentially access to facilities and networks.
• NissansupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 May 2025Nissan's partnership with Sported through the Nissan Possibilities Project continues to inspire and encourage under-represented groups to take part in sports activities in their local communities, providing resources and support for engagement initiatives.
• Sport EnglandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSport England provides expertise and support to community organisations in marginalised communities across Sported's network. The partnership focuses on developing projects and sustainability plans to help engage, protect, and empower participants to access funding and become sustainable.
• NikecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough the Future Leaders programme, Sported and Nike run a 12-month mentorship programme for 12 young social entrepreneurs to develop community initiatives delivering social outcomes through sport. Additionally, a partnership with Nike offers tailored support, mentoring and personal development opportunities for young BAME leaders to help develop and launch their own Sport for Change projects.
• South Lanarkshire Disability SportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in the Empower South Lanarkshire Project along with South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture and Scottish Disability Sport, aiming to reduce the sport and physical activity participation gap for young people with non-visible disabilities.
• Scottish Disability SportcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Empower South Lanarkshire Project working to increase inclusion and participation for young people with disabilities through community sport.
• Sport WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSported is proud to be a Sport Wales National Partner organisation, working to strengthen grassroots community sport in Wales, tackling inequalities and leading sector collaboration. The partnership is generously supported by funding from The National Lottery.
• Actif North WalescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSported works in partnership with Actif North Wales on both a Place Based Pilot Project supporting Local Authorities with wellbeing initiatives, and an Inclusion project employing an Inclusion Officer to support LGBTQ+ community inclusion.
• Wales Strategic Volunteering Project PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed by Sported, the WSVP is a collaboration with Sport Wales, StreetGames, Boys and Girls Clubs of Wales, Welsh Sports Association, and WCVA. The project strengthens volunteering in leadership roles in the Wales Community Sports Sector through sector collaboration.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Active Wellbeing Society: UK community-led charity promoting physical activity and wellbeing in underserved communities. Comparable beneficiary focus and inclusion mission to Sported, with overlapping local-authority partnerships.
• Greenhouse Sports: UK charity using sport to engage and empower young people from disadvantaged backgrounds in London. Comparable mission and beneficiary group, though smaller in geographic reach than Sported.
• Access Sport: UK charity working to give disadvantaged children access to community sport, particularly disability and inclusion. Highly comparable niche, funder base, and beneficiary profile to Sported's inclusion-focused work.
• Community Leisure UK: UK membership body for leisure and culture trusts delivering community sport and physical activity. Comparable membership-network model to Sported, though focused on larger leisure trusts rather than grassroots volunteer clubs.
• StreetGames: UK charity operating a network of 'doorstep' sports projects in disadvantaged communities. Highly comparable to Sported in targeting underserved youth through grassroots sport, and named alongside Sported in the Wales Strategic Volunteering Project.
• Boys and Girls Clubs of Wales: Wales-based youth charity providing sport, leisure, and developmental activities for children and young people. Named alongside Sported in the Wales Strategic Volunteering Project and operates in a directly comparable community-youth-sport niche.
• Youth Sport Trust: UK charity focused on improving children's education and development through PE and sport. Comparable mission (youth sport for inclusion and wellbeing), overlapping funder base (Sport England, National Lottery), and similar advocacy role.

Others

• UK Coaching: UK charity supporting the development of coaches and volunteers across sport. Comparable in workforce-development and volunteer-support focus, and adjacent to Sported's volunteer consultant and training work.
• CIMSPA: Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity — the professional standards body for the UK sport workforce. A direct Sported partner in Wales for workforce development, and an adjacent enabling organisation in the same sector.

Broad incumbents

• Football Foundation: The UK's largest sports charity, funded by the Premier League, FA, and government, distributing grants for grassroots football facilities. Comparable in mission (grassroots sport support) but much larger scale and sport-specific (football only).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sported_uk
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/sporteduk
• Facebookfacebook.com/sported
• Instagraminstagram.com/sporteduk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sported.

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Sported