Southend United Community Foundation

What Southend United Community Foundation does

Southend United Community Foundation, legally constituted as Southend United Community & Educational Trust (SUCET), is a registered UK charity (No. 1105515, Company No. 05074505) and the charitable arm of Southend United Football Club. Operating from Roots Hall Stadium in Southend-on-Sea, Essex, it delivers four core programme pillars — Sports Participation, Health & Wellbeing, Education & Training, and Community Cohesion — across South East Essex, serving children and young people (ages 5-25), schools, senior citizens (60+), and under-represented groups. Named sub-programmes include Premier League Kicks sessions, BTEC Level 3 in Sports Coaching and Development, Soccer Schools, Senior Shrimpers, and Walking Football.

The Foundation has no proprietary technology platform; its operational stack is built on third-party systems including Views (impact reporting by Substance), CoordinateSport (project management, used since 2021), MyConcern (safeguarding), and JustGiving (donations). It runs on a diversified non-profit revenue model combining individual donations (with Gift Aid), raffle and prize draw income, programme fees for soccer schools, after-school clubs, and BTEC tuition, and grant funding from Premier League Charitable Fund, EFL Trust, National League Trust, Essex Community Foundation, People's Postcode Lottery, and Southend-on-Sea City Council. A current £50,000 capital fundraising campaign (Big Blue Raffle, Beard Growing Challenge) targets new academy classrooms.

Distribution is hybrid: direct on-site delivery through school partnerships and community venues (e.g., Eversley Leisure Centre), on-site delivery at Roots Hall and Boots & Laces Training Ground, and an online e-commerce/donation store. The Foundation is governed by a board of six trustees led by Chairman Gary Lockett, with Dale Spiby as CEO (also Senior Safeguarding Manager and Data Protection Officer) and Kylie Halls as COO. It pursues a community-led and event-driven go-to-market, anchored by the 2016-2026 Million Mission to engage one million people through the Southend United FC brand.

Name

Southend United Community Foundation

Legal name

Southend United Community & Educational Trust

Website

https://sufccommunity.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Southend United Community Foundation is a UK registered charity and the charitable arm of Southend United Football Club, delivering sports participation, health, education, and community cohesion programmes to children, schools, seniors, and under-represented groups across South East Essex from Roots Hall Stadium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Sports & Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKALAJ

Cause, Community & CSR-Linked Sports Partnerships (Foundations, Youth Programs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Sponsorship & Endorsements

SECONDARYMPAKACAE

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

Keywords

• Community sports programmes
• Football education programmes
• Youth sports coaching
• Charitable community initiatives
• Health wellbeing programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Southend-on-Sea

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations; fundraising campaigns such as the 50k goal initiative, JustGiving page, and on-site donations with Gift Aid support. Current fundraising target is £50,000 for building new academy classrooms.
2. Raffle and Prize Draw Revenue: Raffle ticket sales with various bundle options (£2 each, 3 for £5, 5 for £7.50, 10 for £10). Over 50 prizes available with approximate retail value over £2,000. Licensed with Southend Council under Gambling Act 2005.
3. Programme Fees: Fees for soccer schools, after-school clubs, and educational programmes including BTEC courses. Services provided to schools include PPA cover, PE lessons, and sports coaching.
4. Grant Funding: Funding from Premier League Charitable Fund (PLCF), English Football League Trust (EFLT), National League Trust (NLT), and other statutory and charitable funders for monitoring, evaluation, and programme delivery.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Southend United Community Foundation is a registered charity (SUCET) affiliated with Southend United Football Club that uses football and sport as a vehicle to deliver four core programme areas across South East Essex: Sports Participation, Health & Wellbeing, Education & Training, and Community Cohesion. It delivers in-school and after-school sports coaching, PE/PPA cover, BTEC vocational qualifications, post-16 education programmes, Premier League Kicks sessions, walking football, and senior engagement programmes, supported by donations, raffles, and grant funding.

Product overview

Southend United Community Foundation operates as a community and educational trust affiliated with Southend United Football Club, offering four core programme areas: Sports Participation, Health & Wellbeing, Education & Training, and Community Cohesion. The Foundation delivers these through various named products and sub-programmes including Premier League Kicks sessions, Soccer Schools, BTEC Level 3 in Sports Coaching and Development, Senior Shrimpers for over-60s, Walking Football, and Post-16 Education programmes. Fundraising is supported through donations, the Big Blue Raffle, and Beard Growing Challenge initiatives. The Foundation uses technology platforms including Views for monitoring, CoordinateSport for project management, and MyConcern for safeguarding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sports Participation

Quantifiable outcome

• Million Mission: Goal to engage 1 million people through the brand of Southend United between 2016-2026
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Partnerships

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

• Southend United Football ClubcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOfficial affiliation with the football club provides brand access, player appearances, stadium facilities, and professional credibility. The Community Foundation is the charitable arm of Southend United.
• Essex and Southend Sports TrustmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional sports trust partner supporting delivery of sports and physical activity programmes across South East Essex.
• Essex County Football AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCounty FA partner for football development, coaching qualifications, and regulatory compliance.
• Southend-on-Sea City CouncilmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority partner providing venue access, funding support, and collaborative community initiatives including HAF (Holiday Activity Fund) scheme.
• National Citizen Service (NCS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgramme partner providing pathways for young people to engage in National Citizen Service through community cohesion activities.
• Police and Crime Commissioner for EssexmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership focused on community safety, youth diversion, and addressing anti-social behaviour through sports programmes.
• Kick It OutsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFootball's equality and inclusion organisation supporting diversity and anti-discrimination initiatives within community programmes.
• Professional Footballers' Association (PFA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlayers' union partner supporting education, player welfare, and Union Learning Representative programmes.
• M&C SAATCHIsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarketing and communications agency providing pro-bono or supported marketing services for campaigns.
• Essex Youth ServicemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal authority youth service partner supporting young people's development and engagement activities.
• Essex Violence & Vulnerability UnitmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership addressing youth violence and vulnerability through targeted community sports interventions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Sported: UK charity network supporting grassroots sport-for-development organisations. Not a direct competitor but a peer in the same ecosystem, providing infrastructure and support to community sports charities like SUCF.

Broad incumbents

• Tottenham Hotspur Foundation: Charitable arm of Tottenham Hotspur delivering sport, education, employability, and health programmes in North London. Similar programme pillars including BTEC-style education pathways, but operating at a significantly larger scale and budget.
• Arsenal in the Community: Community programmes of Arsenal FC delivering sport, education, and social inclusion work in North London. Same football-club-affiliated charity model with overlapping programmes (soccer schools, school sport, education pathways).
• West Ham United Foundation: Charitable arm of West Ham United FC delivering sports participation, education, health, and inclusion programmes in East London. Comparable mission and programme mix with Premier League Kicks delivery, but materially larger in scale.
• Chelsea Foundation: Charitable arm of Chelsea FC, much larger in scale, delivering similar sport-based community Cohesion, education, and health programmes. Comparable mission and structure but with significantly greater resources and global reach.

Direct peers

• Everton in the Community: Official charity of Everton FC delivering sport-for-development programmes in Liverpool. Shares the same football-club-affiliated charitable foundation model, BTEC/post-16 education pathways, and Premier League Kicks participation as SUCF.
• Norwich City FC Community Foundation: Charitable arm of Norwich City FC delivering sport, education, and health programmes in Norfolk. Comparable in scale, programme mix (sports participation, education, health), and funding sources (PLCF, EFLT, school partnerships).
• Liverpool FC Foundation: Charitable arm of Liverpool FC delivering sport-based community programmes in education, health, and social inclusion across Merseyside. Direct peer as both operate as EFL/Premier League football club-affiliated charitable foundations with similar programme pillars.
• Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation: Charitable arm of Brighton & Hove Albion FC delivering PL Kicks, school sport, education, and community cohesion programmes across Sussex. Closely comparable in programme portfolio, governance model, and funder mix.

Emerging players

• Street League: UK charity using sport to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds into education and employment. Comparable in mission and approach (sport as a vehicle for social outcomes) but operates as a standalone national charity rather than being affiliated with a football club.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/southend-united-community-educational-trust

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Southend United Community Foundation