Muslimah Sports Association

What Muslimah Sports Association does

Muslimah Sports Association (MSA) is a UK-registered non-profit charity founded in 2014 by Yashmin Harun BEM, operating from East London and delivering 15 weekly sports and wellbeing activities to approximately 2,500 Muslim and BAME women participants served by a network of 90 qualified coaches and a core staff of six. Activities span football (including a co-branded programme with Frenford Clubs), basketball, swimming, karate, netball, badminton, nordic walking, running, dragon boat racing, yoga, Pilates, plus wellbeing offerings such as Positive Minds (mental health), the MenoFit menopause programme, a book club, and photography walks; delivery is hybrid across leisure centres, schools, mosques, libraries, and online (Zoom).

The business model blends modest participant-paid fees (£2-£6 per session, £10 one-off registration, £30-£36 six-week block bookings for karate) with grant income from funders such as Laureus Sport for Good, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, and London Sport, donations via the GiveAsYouLive platform, and packaged ancillary revenue from the Macedonia & Kosovo cultural tour (£560 per person with Holiday Group International Limited) and London Marathon fundraising. MSA holds no proprietary technology stack — the digital surface is a WordPress website, registration form, and social channels — and growth is community-led through word-of-mouth, volunteer networks, and partnerships with sports governing bodies. There is no app, no API, no AI component, and no parent company; governance rests with a board of trustees whose members also hold director-level roles at the FA, British Fencing, Essex FA, and Sporting Equals, providing institutional influence and policy access disproportionate to the organisation's operational scale.

Moat is built on a deeply embedded community ecosystem (participants, coaches, trustees, partner venues), reputational capital from 18+ industry awards including the 2024 King's Award for Voluntary Service, and a decade of accumulated cultural and religious domain knowledge regarding Muslim women's barriers to sport. Strategic direction is incremental rather than transformational, with adjacent programmes (MenoFit, heritage archiving, international tours, competitive rowing) layered onto the core weekly-sessions foundation.

Name

Muslimah Sports Association

Legal name

Muslimah Sports Association

Website

https://muslimahsports.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Muslimah Sports Association is a UK non-profit founded in 2014 that delivers 15 weekly sports and wellbeing activities to ~2,500 Muslim and BAME women across East London, supported by 90 qualified coaches and a six-person core staff.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Women's Community Sports Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports-Specific Group Conditioning (HSADABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

General Yoga Instruction (Hatha/Vinyasa/Flow) (HSADACAA), Women’s Self-Defense Classes (HSADADAH), General Health Coaching (HSADAGAA), Group Fitness, Personal Training & Wellness Coaching (EDALAIAE)

Keywords

• Women-only sports
• Community sports programmes
• Faith-sensitive fitness
• BAME women wellbeing
• Female coaching services

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Activity Session Fees: Charges per-session fees for various sports activities including running, swimming, football, yoga, pilates, karate, badminton, basketball, netball, and nordic walking. Session fees range from £2-6 per activity.
2. Block Booking Fees: Charges upfront block booking fees for programs like Karate (6-week blocks at £30-36) and other activities requiring commitment.
3. Membership/Registration Fees: £10 MSA Registration Fee required for new participants to create profiles and access activities.
4. Donations: Accepts charitable donations through GiveAsYouLive platform to support operations and expand programs.
5. Tour and Travel Packages: Organizes international tours (e.g., Macedonia & Kosovo 2026) in partnership with Holiday Group International Limited, charging £560 per person package prices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Muslimah Sports Association delivers women-only, faith-sensitive sports and physical-activity programmes for Muslim and BAME women and girls in East London and surrounding areas. Offerings span football, basketball, swimming, karate, yoga, pilates, netball, badminton, Nordic walking, running, dragon boat racing, photography walks, a book club and targeted wellbeing programmes (Positive Minds for mental health, MenoFit for menopause). Sessions are delivered by approximately 90 qualified, DBS-checked female coaches and supported through formal partnerships with national governing bodies.

Product overview

Muslimah Sports Association (MSA) is a non-profit organization offering a diverse portfolio of sports and wellbeing activities for Muslim women. The core offerings include regular sports sessions such as football, basketball, swimming, karate, yoga, pilates, netball, badminton, nordic walking, run club, and dragon boat racing. Additionally, MSA provides wellbeing programmes including Positive Minds mental health sessions, MenoFit menopause support, book club, and photography walks. The organization also runs special initiatives like the London Marathon programme, international tours (Macedonia & Kosovo), and a Heritage Project documenting member stories. All activities are designed to create comfortable, faith-appropriate environments for Muslim women to participate in physical activity without compromising their religious beliefs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Football Sessions

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,500 women participants engaged through sports and physical activities
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Holiday Group International LimitedcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026Tour operator partnership for organizing international trips including Macedonia & Kosovo 2026. Holiday Group International Limited handles logistics, transfers, accommodation, and guided tours while MSA facilitates participant recruitment and manages the charitable aspect of the travel program.
• Frenford ClubscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint football program delivery for women and girls. MSA & Frenford Women's FC offers Just Play sessions and structured football training for all skill levels, utilizing Frenford Clubs facilities.
• British FencingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Muslim Girls Fence project supporting fencing participation among Muslim women in BME communities. Includes fencing leadership programmes and training.
• MaslahahcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-development partner for Muslim Girls Fence initiative addressing Islamophobia and racism through fencing.
• Royal NavyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivered online fitness sessions to MSA participants including home-schooling girls and Super5 footballers during COVID-19 pandemic.
• The London ArchivescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepository for MSA's heritage collection of oral histories documenting Muslim women's experiences in sport, creating the beginnings of a collection relating to Muslim women's sport in London.
• Living StreetsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for walking initiatives including safety walks and community engagement programs promoting walking as accessible physical activity.
• Football Association (FA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYashmin Harun serves as Director at London FA and FA Council Representative, influencing national policies on diversity and inclusion in football.
• City University of LondonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHafiza Patel serves as Assistant Finance Director at City University of London, representing the University as Governor for City of London Academy Islington.
• MenoFit ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMenopause wellness program incorporating Pilates sessions delivered by MSA, led by qualified menopause clinician Veerpal Sandhu.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Kick It Out: UK football equality and inclusion organization tackling racism and discrimination. Related space addressing inclusion in sport; Trustee Kevin Coleman previously worked at Kick Racism Out of Football, its predecessor.
• Sported: UK-wide network of community sport clubs and charities supporting grassroots sports organizations. MSA is itself a Sported member, so it functions as an infrastructure/network partner rather than competitor.
• Laureus Sport for Good: Global foundation funding sport-for-development programs including MSA. Functions as a major funder/partner rather than competitor; comparable as a UK charity ecosystem participant.

Direct peers

• StreetGames: UK charity delivering sport to underserved young people and communities, including faith and BAME communities. Comparable in community-led sport delivery model and grant-funded charity structure.
• Sporting Equals: UK organization promoting ethnic diversity in sport, with a specific focus on BAME communities. Closely comparable to MSA in target demographic and Yashmin Harun serves as Vice Chair here, indicating direct operational overlap.
• Access Sport: UK charity using sport to transform the lives of disadvantaged young people, including BAME communities. Comparable in grassroots sport-for-good model and nonprofit funding structure.
• Muslim Women in Sport Network: UK network focused on increasing Muslim women's participation in sport. Closely comparable niche focus, though operates as a network rather than direct service provider like MSA.
• Women in Sport: UK charity advocating for women and girls' participation in sport and physical activity. Most direct comparable to MSA in mission, target audience, and policy advocacy, though broader (not faith-specific).

Broad incumbents

• Greenhouse Sports: UK sports charity providing long-term coaching to young people from disadvantaged communities, including mentoring pathways. Comparable in sport-for-good charity model with a youth focus; operates at larger scale.
• This Girl Can (Sport England): Sport England's national campaign to encourage women and girls of all backgrounds to get active. Comparable target audience but operates as mass-market awareness campaign rather than direct service provider.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/muslimah-sports-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Muslimah Sports Association