Leisure United

What Leisure United does

Leisure United is a UK charitable company limited by guarantee (company number 10076004, registered charity number 1174371) that operates a network of community football and fitness hubs across England. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of The National Football Trust and operates 21+ hub locations serving grassroots football players, individual gym members, children and families, walking football participants, and women's/girls' football players. The company runs dual core product lines: football pitches (pay-and-play, pitch hire, leagues, tournaments, kids' activities, women's football, walking football) and gym facilities (multiple membership tiers, group classes, personal training), all managed through an online booking platform at app.leisureunited.com.

The business model combines consumer revenue (gym subscriptions, pay-and-play at £3.50-£3.70/session, block pitch hire, kids' parties at £15/child, personal training) with significant grant funding from the Football Foundation (a joint initiative of the Premier League, The FA, DCMS, and Government) — exemplified by £6m towards Derby, £3.5m towards Wealden, and £1.3m towards Wednesbury. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via online booking, in-person hub visits, and phone; partnerships with local councils, Football Foundation, Lancashire FA, Derbyshire FA, and community trusts provide grassroots reach and grant access. Reported social impact metrics include £1.3m returned to grassroots football each season, 10,000+ hours of subsidised football annually, and 200+ community social projects per year.

Name

Leisure United

Legal name

Leisure United

Website

https://leisureunited.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Leisure United is a UK charitable company operating 21+ community football and fitness hubs across England, delivering pay-and-play football, leagues, pitch hire, gym memberships, and kids' activities through grant-funded partnerships with the Football Foundation, Premier League, FA, and local councils.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sports and Fitness Facilities

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Adventure Sports & Activity Centers (Paragliding, Surf Schools, Guided Activities) (THAAAAAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Adventure Equipment Rental, Retail & Service Centers (Gear Hire, Repairs) (THAAAKAN)

Keywords

• Community football facilities
• Grassroots football hubs
• Gym memberships
• Football pitch hire
• Community fitness services

Headquarters

HQ city

Sheffield

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Gym Memberships: Contract and non-contract gym memberships including Adult, Teen, Student, and Annual options with monthly direct debit or upfront payment options. Includes Dual Use memberships at some locations and Blue Light Card discounted rates.
2. Pay and Play Football: Casual football sessions priced from £3.50-£3.70 per session for adults. Kids pay and play at £3.20. One-hour sessions on all-weather floodlit pitches.
3. Pitch Hire: Quarter, half, and full pitch hire for 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11-a-side football. Block bookings for 10+ consecutive weeks. FA affiliate club rates available.
4. Kids Football Activities: Kids football camps during school holidays, development coaching sessions, toddler sessions, and birthday parties at £15 per child. Includes HAF (Holiday Activities and Food) funded free places.
5. Football Leagues: Organised competitive football leagues for adults and juniors in various formats (5, 7, 9-a-side) with FA qualified referees and league management.
6. Walking Football: Walking football sessions for older adults with first week free trial offers.
7. Personal Training: One-on-one personal training services provided by LU-qualified trainers with ongoing monitoring and nutritional advice.
8. Group Training Classes: Instructor-led fitness classes including HIIT, Yoga, Zumba, Kettle Bells, Boot Camp, and more. Part of gym membership or available to non-members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Leisure United operates a network of community football and fitness hubs across the UK, offering access to 3G all-weather pitches through pay-and-play sessions, league competitions, pitch hire, and block bookings. The company also runs gym facilities with tiered memberships, group fitness classes, personal training, and structured football development programs for children, women, and older adults including walking football. All services are delivered through physical hubs with online booking and membership management.

Product overview

Leisure United operates a network of community football and fitness hubs across the UK, offering a dual-core product portfolio. The football division provides access to pitches through pay-and-play, league competitions, tournaments, pitch hire, and specialized programs for women, children, and walking football participants. The gym division offers fitness facilities and classes through various membership tiers, supplemented by personal training and group training add-ons. All services are managed through an online booking and membership platform, with locations in Derby, Dagenham, Liverpool, Newcastle, Sheffield, Sunderland, Wednesbury, Wigan, and other UK areas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pay and Play Football Fuss-free casual football sessions for individuals or groups booking pitch time without prior commitment on all-weather floodlit pitches.
• Football Leagues Competitively organised football leagues for adults and juniors in 5, 7, 9, and 11-a-side formats with FA qualified referees and full league management.
• Football Tournaments Organised tournament competitions including charity tournaments, corporate cups, and 5-a-side prize tournaments held at Leisure United hubs.
• Pitch Hire Pitch rental service offering quarter, half, and full size pitches for 5, 6, 7, 9, and 11-a-side football with one-off bookings, block bookings (10+ consecutive weeks), and FA affiliate club rates.
• Women's and Girls Football Female football programs including Wildcats initiative for girls aged 5-11, coaching sessions, women's leagues, and tournament opportunities across all age groups.
• Kids Football Development Football coaching and training sessions for children aged 2-16 including toddler sessions, skill development, goalkeeping coaching, and partner club pathways delivered by FA-accredited coaches.
• Kids Football Parties Football-themed birthday party packages for children aged 4+ including 60 minutes of football with an FA coach, hot meal, dessert, unlimited juice, party room, digital invites, and certificates.
• Kids Football Camps School holiday football camps for boys and girls aged 5-12, run daily 9am-3pm by FA-accredited coaches. Free HAF funded places are available for children receiving free school meals.
• Walking Football Low-impact football sessions for adults at their own pace, following standard football rules without running, designed for injury recovery, social participation, and mental wellbeing.
• Gym Memberships Gym access memberships including contract (monthly direct debit), no-contract, annual (with one month free), teen/student (aged 14+), dual use, and Blue Light Card discounted options (up to 20% off).
• Group Training Classes Instructor-led fitness classes including HIIT, Yoga, Zumba, Kettle Bells, Boot Camp, Body Sculpt, Box Fit, Circuits, Strength and Conditioning, and many more.
• Personal Training One-on-one fitness training with LU Personal Trainers providing support, expert advice, motivation, specific skills development, nutritional advice, and ongoing monitoring.

Quantifiable outcome

• £1.3m returned to grassroots football each season
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• The National Football TrustcoreOthersLeisure United is a wholly-owned charitable subsidiary of The National Football Trust (company number 11535526, registered charity number 1184825). The National Football Trust is the parent charitable organization.
• Football FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary funding partner providing grants for hub development. Funded Derby Racecourse (£6m of £11.9m), Wealden (£3.5m), and Wednesbury (£1.3m) projects. Joint initiative of Premier League, FA, DCMS, and Government.
• The Football Association (FA)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational governing body partner providing FA-accredited coaching standards, league officiation, and FAN (FA Number) registration for disciplinary monitoring and safeguarding.
• Derby City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner providing vital support for Derby Racecourse Hub development alongside £11.9m investment.
• Derbyshire FAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal football association partner for Derby Racecourse Hub football programming and club development.
• Derby County Community TrustminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball club community trust partner collaborating on Derby Racecourse Hub initiatives.
• Wigan CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner for Wigan hubs at Laithwaite Park and William Foster, ensuring hubs remain sustainable and responsive to local needs.
• Wigan Athletic Community TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity partner developing varied programs at Wigan hubs including football activities and community engagement.
• Lancashire FAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty football association partner for football development and league organization at Wigan hubs.
• Sandwell CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner for Wednesbury Hub £1.3m transformation project alongside Football Foundation funding.
• Phoenix CollegiateminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner supporting Wednesbury Hub transformation and community engagement.
• Wealden District CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSite owner and partner for Wealden Community Sports Hub development near Hailsham with £3.5m Football Foundation grant.
• Local Authorities/CouncilscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with various UK local authorities for hub development, facility provision, and community sports programming.
• Hurrah MarketingminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMarketing agency undertaking marketing activities on behalf of Leisure United.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Parkwood Leisure: UK leisure trust operating council leisure facilities including gyms, group exercise, and sports pitches. Directly comparable community-leisure operator with similar local-authority partnership model.
• Goals (Goals Soccer Centres): UK-based operator of small-sided football centres with multiple pitches for 5-a-side and pay-and-play leagues. Directly comparable to Leisure United's core football hub model, though Goals is a commercial operator rather than a charity.
• Active Nation: UK charity operating community sport and leisure facilities with similar subscription and pay-as-you-play models. Direct comparable as a non-profit community leisure operator.
• Fusion Lifestyle: UK operator of council leisure centres, gyms, fitness studios and grassroots sports facilities. Comparable community-based operating model with multiple revenue streams including memberships and sports participation.
• Everyone Active (GLL): UK's largest charitable social enterprise operating public leisure facilities on behalf of local authorities. Directly comparable community-leisure operating model (gyms, classes, football, swimming) with similar council-partnership DNA.
• Power League: UK's largest network of small-sided football centres offering 5, 6, and 7-a-side pitches, leagues, and tournaments. Closest commercial analog to Leisure United's pay-and-play and league offerings.
• Better (GLL): Community leisure brand operated by GLL, running council-owned leisure centres, gyms, fitness classes and sports facilities across the UK. Same charitable leisure operating model as Leisure United.
• Goals5 (Wigan HQ): Smaller-footprint small-sided football centre operator competing for grassroots football bookings in northern England — direct geographic and product overlap with Leisure United's Wigan and Liverpool hubs.
• Places Leisure: UK operator of local authority leisure facilities, providing gyms, fitness classes, swimming, and grassroots sport programming. Comparable community-fitness operating model with similar revenue mix.

Broad incumbents

• The Gym Group: UK low-cost gym chain with 240+ locations offering no-contract memberships. Overlaps with Leisure United's gym offering but does not operate football pitches or community programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/LeisureUnited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/leisure-united

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Leisure United