London Playing Fields Foundation
London Playing Fields Foundation is a 135-year-old UK charity operating seven playing fields across six London boroughs, providing affordable football, cricket and rugby pitch hire to grassroots clubs, schools and community members while delivering social-inclusion projects in mental health, women's participation and physical activity.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1890
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What London Playing Fields Foundation does
London Playing Fields Foundation (LPFF), registered UK charity number 302925, was founded in 1890 by Victorian philanthropists and operates under a Royal Charter granted in 1925. The charity owns or holds long-tenure leases on seven playing fields totaling roughly 160 acres across six London boroughs (Waltham Forest, Redbridge, Hounslow, Ealing and Greenwich), providing grassroots football, cricket and rugby pitch hire to amateur clubs, schools and community groups. In 2024 these grounds hosted 3,632 football matches and 734 cricket matches, serving over 200,000 Londoners and 775 regular football teams plus 32 cricket clubs. Beyond facility operations, LPFF runs three social-inclusion programs: Coping Through Football (a mental health intervention in partnership with NHS trust NELFT and Leyton Orient Trust, described as the most evaluated such programme in the world), Green Hearts (a walking/running initiative for inactive adults, 441 members), and the Girls' Football Hub (launched 2024, engaging 1,200+ girls in its first season). It also maintains the Fields at Risk Register — an early-warning system credited with saving over 20 threatened sites in the last decade — and campaigns via a Charter for Playing Fields in London to influence Greater London Authority and borough-level planning policy.
The business model combines three revenue streams: pitch hiring (per-match, multi-week contract and 3G artificial-pitch session pricing, broadly recovering only 46p per £1 of pitch production cost), donations and corporate fundraising (including a flagship Gala Dinner at The Savoy, an annual Charity Golf Day at Woburn Golf Club at £2,000 per fourball, and a Quiz Night at The Kia Oval at £125 per head), and restricted capital grants from funders such as Sport England, the Football Foundation, the London Marathon Charitable Trust, the Premier League, the PFA and several local authorities including Waltham Forest Council and London Borough of Redbridge. LPFF does not receive core funding from central or local government and relies on a small paid team (six named staff plus ground-level contacts) supported by an extensive volunteer network. Distribution is direct-to-customer via email-based booking through a dedicated Bookings Officer, supplemented by channel partnerships (Powerleague small-sided courts at Fairlop Oak; Better-operated indoor facilities at Peter May; Parkrun at Peter May; SELKent Youth League and South London Special League at Greenwich).
Customer segments are deliberately diversified across grassroots sports clubs, schools and universities, NHS-referred mental health participants, inactive adults seeking wellness, and corporate CSR partners, with a hybrid segmentation approach that prioritises sport-for-development outcomes alongside pitch-hire income. Strategically the charity is broadening programming (Girls' Football Hub, Charter campaign), strengthening celebrity advocacy through Vice Presidents including Lord Coe, Emma Hayes OBE and Christine Ohuruogu MBE, and actively opposing regulatory changes that would weaken statutory protections for playing fields.
London Playing Fields Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- London Playing Fields Foundation
- Legal name
- London Playing Fields Foundation
- Website
- https://lpff.org.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1890
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- London Playing Fields Foundation is a 135-year-old UK charity operating seven playing fields across six London boroughs, providing affordable football, cricket and rugby pitch hire to grassroots clubs, schools and community members while delivering social-inclusion projects in mental health, women's participation and physical activity.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
London Playing Fields Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Facility Management
- NAICS
- Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF), Groundskeeping, Landscaping & Athletic Field Maintenance (EDAEAAAC), Turf Management (Sports Fields, Golf Courses) (BPABADAC), Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)
Keywords
Where London Playing Fields Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices8 records
Markets served
London Playing Fields Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Pitch Hiring: LPFF generates revenue through hiring out football, cricket, and rugby pitches to clubs, schools, and community groups. However, for every £1 invested in producing good quality pitches, they only recoup 46p in hiring income, creating a significant funding gap.
- Donations and Fundraising: The charity relies heavily on donations from individuals and corporate supporters to fund its operations. They do not receive direct local or central government funding for core work.
- Event Sponsorship and Attendance: Revenue generated from fundraising events including Gala Dinners at The Savoy, Charity Golf Days, Quizzes, and corporate partnerships.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Adult Football Pitch - Saturday PM Full Contract (28 weeks) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Adult Football Pitch - Saturday PM Half Contract (14 weeks) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Adult Football Pitch - Individual Match Saturday PM |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 3G Artificial Pitch - Peak Full Pitch (90 min session) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | 3G Artificial Pitch - Off Peak Full Pitch (90 min session) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Youth Football Pitch (U16) - Full Size or Junior 9v9 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Annual | Cricket Full Contract (min 20 matches) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Cricket Weekend Individual Match |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gala Dinner Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Quiz Night Tickets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Golf Day |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels11 records
London Playing Fields Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
London Playing Fields Foundation is a UK registered charity that protects, promotes, maintains and manages seven playing fields across six London boroughs. It hires out football, cricket, and rugby pitches to grassroots clubs, schools and community groups, and delivers three social inclusion programmes: Coping Through Football (mental health), Green Hearts (physical activity), and Girls' Football Hub (youth participation). The charity funds its work through pitch hire income, donations, corporate partnerships, grants, and annual fundraising events.
Product overview
London Playing Fields Foundation is a charity that operates seven playing fields across six London boroughs, offering pitch hire services for football, cricket, and rugby. The organization runs three social inclusion projects: Coping Through Football (mental health support), Green Hearts (walking/running program), and Girls' Football Hub. Additionally, the Foundation conducts advocacy through its Fields at Risk Register and Charter for Playing Fields campaign. Fundraising is supported through events including Gala Dinner, LPFF Quiz, and Golf Day.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Coping Through Football: A groundbreaking social inclusion project launched in 2007, run with NHS and Leyton Orient Trust, using football to help people with mental health problems get their lives back on track.
- Green Hearts
- Girls' Football Hub
Products and services
- Pitch Hire Services Affordable football, cricket, and rugby pitch hire across seven grounds in London, available as full contracts (28 weeks), half contracts (14 weeks), individual match bookings, and 90-minute 3G sessions, with peak/off-peak pricing and youth priority bookings. Designed for grassroots sports clubs, schools, universities, and community groups.
- Douglas Eyre Sports Centre LPFF's largest ground (33 acres), offering 9 adult football pitches, a cricket pitch, full-size 3G artificial turf pitch, grass athletics track, and 2 softball diamonds. Hosts social inclusion projects including Coping Through Football, Green Hearts, and the Girls' Football Hub. Used by clubs, schools, and London FA coach education programmes.
- Peter May Sports Centre Flagship 32-acre site with 4 adult football pitches, 2 junior pitches, 5v5 mini-soccer pitches, 4 cricket pitches, a full-size 3G artificial turf pitch, indoor cricket hall, and health and fitness studios. Home to Essex County Cricket Board talent development and the weekly Walthamstow Parkrun.
- Fairlop Oak Playing Field 30-acre ground in Redbridge offering 8 adult football pitches and 3 cricket pitches. Hosts Essex Schools Football Association inter-county and inter-district fixtures, colts' cricket competitions, and Powerleague-operated five-a-side and eleven-a-side football courts with clubhouse and licensed bar.
- London Marathon Playing Field Redbridge 12-acre ground acquired in 2000 with London Marathon Charitable Trust funding, featuring 2 cricket pitches, classroom/meeting room, and licensed bar with catering facilities. Hosts Chigwell FC's Girls' Football Hub sessions for 6-14 year olds on Saturday mornings.
- Boston Manor Playing Field 22-acre ground in Hounslow bordering Boston Manor Park, offering 3 adult football pitches, 2 mini-soccer pitches, 1 junior pitch, 3 rugby pitches, and a grass athletics track for school use. Also a Green Hearts activity venue.
- London Marathon Playing Field Greenford 22-acre ground with long lease acquired in 2007 from City Parochial Foundation with London Marathon Charitable Trust grant. Home to West London RFC (inclusive rugby club with players from 21 countries), offers rugby pitch and refurbished pavilion; Alba Early Years Day Nursery operates weekdays.
- London Marathon Playing Field Greenwich 9-acre ground acquired in 1999 (first saved with London Marathon Charitable Trust help), forming the country's first dedicated mini-soccer centre with 8 mini-soccer pitches. Hosts 700 youth football teams playing 1,700 small-sided matches each Sunday for the SELKent Youth League and South London Special League.
- Coping Through Football Social inclusion programme launched in 2007 in partnership with NHS (NELFT) and Leyton Orient Trust that uses football as a therapeutic tool to help adults and young people experiencing mental health issues, drug and alcohol dependency, and social isolation. Described as the most evaluated football and mental health intervention in the world, with documented increases in moderate-to-vigorous activity (from 181 to 343 minutes per week over six months) and 8 out of 10 participants reporting it helped them remain abstinent or reduce substance consumption.
Quantifiable outcome
- 200,000+ Londoners use LPFF pitches annually
- +8 more outcomes
Companies that use London Playing Fields Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
London Playing Fields Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
London Playing Fields Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- BettercoreBetter manages indoor cricket hall, health and fitness studios and changing rooms at Peter May Sports Centre, providing additional facilities for LPFF users.
- North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT)flagshipNHS trust providing clinical oversight and Occupational Therapy support for Coping Through Football project, running mental health sessions at LPFF grounds since 2007.
- Leyton Orient TrustflagshipCharitable arm of Leyton Orient FC running football sessions for Coping Through Football project, providing coaching staff and facilitating match attendance events.
- London FAcoreCounty football association using LPFF grounds for coach education programmes and competitions.
- SELKENT Youth LeaguecoreYouth football league hosting matches at London Marathon Playing Field Greenwich, one of the country's first dedicated mini-soccer centres.
- South London Special LeaguecoreSpecial league using London Marathon Playing Field Greenwich for inclusive football matches.
- Essex FAcoreCounty football association with partnership at Fairlop Oak and LPFF Redbridge for Essex Schools Football Association inter-county and inter-district fixtures.
- Middlesex FAcoreCounty football association partnership for grassroots football at LPFF grounds.
- Amateur Football AllianceminorAlliance of amateur football clubs with representation at LPFF grounds.
- Essex County Cricket BoardcoreCounty cricket board using Peter May Sports Centre to identify and develop talented young cricketers.
- Middlesex CricketminorCounty cricket organization with partnership at LPFF grounds.
- ParkruncoreWeekly Walthamstow Parkrun held at Peter May Sports Centre every Saturday morning.
- PowerleaguecoreFive and eleven-a-side football operator with courts, clubhouse and licensed bar at Fairlop Oak Playing Field.
- Chigwell FCcoreFootball club delivering Girls' Football Hub sessions for 6-14 year olds at London Marathon Playing Field Redbridge on Saturday mornings.
- Ryan FC W&GcoreFootball club providing coaching for Girls' Football Hub festivals at Douglas Eyre Sports Centre.
- Waltham Forest School Sports FederationcoreFederation organizing secondary school football and cricket competitions, girls' football festivals, and cross country events at LPFF Walthamstow grounds.
- West London RFCcoreRugby club based at London Marathon Playing Field Greenford, providing inclusive rugby environment with players from 21 countries.
Scale indicators21 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
London Playing Fields Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fields in Trust: UK charity that protects, preserves, and improves outdoor sport and play spaces across the UK. Fields in Trust is the closest direct peer to LPFF, sharing a near-identical mission of legally protecting recreational green space for community use.
- Powerleague: UK's leading operator of small-sided football facilities. Powerleague already operates 14 small-sided courts on LPFF's Fairlop Oak site, making it a direct operating peer in commercial 5-a-side and 7-a-side pitch hire, though with a for-profit rather than charitable model.
Others
- Sported: UK charity supporting community sport groups serving underrepresented young people. Sported is thematically adjacent to LPFF's Coping Through Football and Green Hearts projects and acts as an enabling intermediary for the grassroots sports sector.
- Youth Sport Trust: UK children's charity focused on PE, sport, and physical activity in schools. Youth Sport Trust is comparable as a charity working on youth sport engagement, overlapping with LPFF's Girls' Football Hub and school sport partnerships.
- London Marathon Charitable Trust: Major funder of LPFF's playing fields, helping acquire Greenwich (1999), Redbridge (2000), and Greenford (2007) sites. LMCT is a relevant ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, sharing London community recreation funding objectives.
Broad incumbents
- GLL / Better: Major UK leisure and fitness operator managing public leisure facilities on behalf of local authorities. GLL/Better already manages Peter May's indoor cricket hall and studios for LPFF and is a comparable incumbent in operating recreational sports facilities.
- Sport England: UK government arm's-length body distributing public funding for grassroots sport. Sport England is both a flagship funder of LPFF's capital developments and a comparable national body working on grassroots sport infrastructure and participation outcomes.
- The Football Foundation: The UK's largest sports charity funding grassroots football facilities. The Football Foundation is a major funder of LPFF's 3G pitch developments and is broadly comparable as it allocates capital grants to improve community football infrastructure across England.
Emerging players
- Access Sport: UK charity using sport to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people. Access Sport overlaps with LPFF's social inclusion remit, particularly around inclusive community sport, but focuses on multi-sport and disability inclusion programs rather than facility ownership.
Regional players
- Middlesex County Cricket Club: London-based cricket governing body whose board includes LPFF Vice President Mike Gatting CBE. Middlesex CCC operates elite cricket pathways and shares the LPFF grounds for grassroots development, making it a regional peer in cricket facility provision.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
London Playing Fields Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceLondon Playing Fields Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
London Playing Fields Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles14 records
London Playing Fields Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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London Playing Fields Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about London Playing Fields Foundation
What does London Playing Fields Foundation do?
London Playing Fields Foundation is a UK registered charity that protects, promotes, maintains and manages seven playing fields across six London boroughs. It hires out football, cricket, and rugby pitches to grassroots clubs, schools and community groups, and delivers three social inclusion programmes: Coping Through Football (mental health), Green Hearts (physical activity), and Girls' Football Hub (youth participation). The charity funds its work through pitch hire income, donations, corporate partnerships, grants, and annual fundraising events.
Is London Playing Fields Foundation a public or private company?
London Playing Fields Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was London Playing Fields Foundation founded?
London Playing Fields Foundation was founded in 1890. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is London Playing Fields Foundation based?
London Playing Fields Foundation is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does London Playing Fields Foundation make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Pitch Hiring is the primary driver. The others are donations and Fundraising and event Sponsorship and Attendance.
Who are London Playing Fields Foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fields in Trust and Powerleague. Others are Sported, Youth Sport Trust and London Marathon Charitable Trust. Broad incumbents are GLL / Better, Sport England and The Football Foundation. Access Sport is listed as an emerging player. Middlesex County Cricket Club is listed as a regional player.
Does London Playing Fields Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for London Playing Fields Foundation.
What industry is London Playing Fields Foundation in?
London Playing Fields Foundation's product category is Sports Facility Management. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKACAE, Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations, with a secondary code of MPAKACAF, Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues). Its NAICS code is 713940 and its SIC code is 7997.