AR26 Charity

What AR26 Charity does

AR26 Charity is a Scottish registered nonprofit (SC050131) founded in 2020 by Scotland football captain Andy Robertson MBE and his wife Rachel Robertson. The organisation exists to create chances for children and young people across Scotland by closing the gap on disadvantage and levelling access to sport, education and life-skills programmes. It serves three primary beneficiary segments: disadvantaged children aged 6-14 (community football), at-risk school youth (in-school programmes), and children aged 3-16 facing challenging life circumstances (experiences), with all services delivered free of charge.

The charity operates three core programme lines. Football for All – In the Community delivers free weeknight football sessions at 9 sites across Scotland (Airdrie, Letham/Perth, Raploch/Stirling, Wester Hailes/Edinburgh, Priesthill/Glasgow South, Firhill/Glasgow North, Lochee/Dundee, Irvine/North Ayrshire, Greenock/Inverclyde), complemented by holiday camps with free food. Football for All – In Schools extends into formal education via the GOAL programme (Secondary 2-3) and Fulfilling Futures through Football (Primary 7). AR26 Experiences provides tailored one-off experiences for children facing illness, loss, caring responsibilities or hardship, delivered exclusively via third-party referral. The technology stack is minimal — a Wix-hosted website, a Class4Kids online booking platform, and a JustGiving donation portal — with no proprietary software, data platform, or AI/ML capabilities.

Revenue is generated entirely through donations, corporate sponsorships, and fundraising events. All programmes are free to beneficiaries. The funding base spans individual giving via JustGiving, flagship corporate partnerships (Arnold Clark as Captain's Cup title partner; Destinology and The Macallan at the inaugural Gleneagles Gala Dinner; FAB Skincare at Ladies Day), and recurring events. Operational delivery is supported by a network of 20 paid coaches and 7 volunteers, with senior operational leadership including Head of Partnerships Amanda Nisanci. In 2025, the charity reported serving 7,053 young people, delivering 741 hours of free football over 204 days, and providing 1,294 free lunches, alongside £20,000 raised at a single Ladies Day event.

Name

AR26 Charity

Legal name

AR26 Charity

Website

https://ar26.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Short description

AR26 Charity is a Scottish nonprofit founded in 2020 by Andy Robertson MBE that delivers free football, education and life-skills programmes to disadvantaged children and young people aged 3-16 across 9 community sites in Scotland, funded entirely by donations, corporate sponsorships and fundraising events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Community Sports and Education Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations (MPAKACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Youth Multi-Sport Camps (General Athletics, Summer Camps) (MPAKAJAA), Interscholastic Athletics (Varsity/JV Teams) (EDAJAJAA)

Keywords

• Youth football programs
• Community charity services
• Youth education programs
• Charitable youth services
• Youth development programs

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: Charity generates revenue through public donations via JustGiving platform, hosting fundraising events (gala dinners, golf days, ladies lunches), corporate sponsorships, and individual fundraising activities. All programmes are provided free of charge to beneficiaries.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AR26 Charity delivers free football coaching, life skills education, and unique experiences for children and young people aged 3-16 across Scotland through its Football for All community programme (9 sites, weeknight sessions and holiday camps with free food), Football for All In Schools alternate-education programmes, and AR26 Experiences (tailored one-off experiences for children facing hardship, illness, or loss). All services are provided at no cost to beneficiaries and funded through donations, fundraising events, and corporate partnerships.

Product overview

AR26 Charity operates three core programmes: Football for All – In the Community delivers free football sessions and holiday camps across 9 Scottish regions to children aged 6-14; Football for All – In Schools provides alternate education programmes including the GOAL programme for Secondary 2-3 students and the Fulfilling Futures through Football programme for Primary 7 pupils; and AR26 Experiences offers tailored one-off experiences for children aged 3-16 facing hardship via third-party referral only. The programmes share a unified mission of creating chances for children and levelling the playing field through the power of football.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Football for All: Free football coaching programme for children aged 6-14 years, delivered across 9 sites in Scotland on weeknights and during school holidays. Includes community sessions and school-based programmes.
• AR26 Experiences
• GOAL Programme
• Fulfilling Futures through Football

Products and services

• Football for All – In the Community Community-based free football coaching programme delivering fun football sessions on weeknights to children aged 6-14 across 9 sites in Scotland (Airdrie, Letham/Perth, Raploch/Stirling, Wester Hailes/Edinburgh, Priesthill/Glasgow South, Firhill/Glasgow North, Lochee/Dundee, Irvine/North Ayrshire, and Greenock/Inverclyde), complemented by free food and football camps during school holidays with third-party half-time educational talks.
• Football for All – In Schools Alternate-education programme delivered in schools using football as the engagement mechanism, supporting young people in transition from primary to secondary school and re-engaging disengaged secondary students, encompassing the GOAL programme and Fulfilling Futures through Football programme.
• AR26 Experiences One-off unique tailored experiences (staycations, celebrity meet and greets, VIP tours, Lapland trips) delivered to children and young people aged 3-16 facing life-threatening illness, caring responsibilities, hardship, trauma, or loss of a parent/sibling; accessed only through formal third-party referral.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,053 young people took part in AR26 sessions in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

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

• Stewart TravelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for AR26 Experiences, providing travel-related experiences for children facing challenging circumstances. Stewart Travel supports the delivery of unique experiences such as staycations and trips for deserving beneficiaries.
• Arnold ClarkflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerTitle partner for the Captain's Cup Annual Golf Day, a flagship annual fundraising event. 2025 marked the third year of the partnership.
• DestinologycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociate partner for the AR26 Charity Gala Dinner held at Gleneagles Hotel in June 2025, supporting the charity's milestone first Gala Dinner event.
• The MacallancoreGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociate partner for the AR26 Charity Gala Dinner held at Gleneagles Hotel, supporting the first annual Gala Dinner fundraiser.
• FAB SkincarecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsor of the AR26 Ladies Day event, a key fundraising lunch supporting programmes across Scotland. The 2025 event raised £20,000.
• Diamonde Blush GinminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupported the Sip & Shop experience at AR26 Ladies Day 2025, providing drinks for the boutique stall event.
• Love It BoutiqueminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFashion show partner for AR26 Ladies Day 2025, providing clothing for the runway show featuring community models.
• Night Before Christmas CampaigncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAR26 supports the Night Before Christmas campaign, an initiative ensuring children don't miss out on Christmas. AR26 volunteers help pack presents for children who may not receive gifts, aligning with AR26's ethos of creating chances for children.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Sported: UK-wide network supporting community sports clubs and charities serving disadvantaged young people. Comparable to AR26 as a peer community football charity ecosystem player, though operating as an umbrella/support body rather than direct delivery.

Regional players

• Sport Aberdeen: Charity operating sport and physical activity programmes for children and families in the Aberdeen region. Comparable to AR26 as a Scottish regional sports-charity, though focused on Aberdeen rather than the central belt where AR26's sites are concentrated.

Direct peers

• Aberdeen FC Community Trust: Charity of Aberdeen FC delivering football-based community programmes to children and young people in North-East Scotland. Comparable to AR26 in sport-plus-education model and reliance on club-linked celebrity/founder profile.
• Rangers Charity Foundation: The charitable arm of Rangers FC, running community football programmes, education initiatives, and health/wellness projects for young people across Scotland. Closely comparable to AR26 in target beneficiaries, free-to-access delivery model, and Scottish community focus.
• Celtic FC Foundation: The charitable arm of Celtic FC, delivering free football coaching, food programmes, and education to disadvantaged children and families across Scotland. Directly comparable to AR26 in mission (free youth football + education + holiday hunger relief), Scottish geography, and donor base.
• Kilmarnock FC Community Trust: East-Ayrshire-based football community trust delivering free coaching, education, and health programmes to children and families. Comparable to AR26 in Scottish regional delivery, football-plus-education model, and disadvantaged-child focus.

Emerging players

• Street Games: UK-wide charity bringing free sport (including football) to disadvantaged young people in disadvantaged communities. Comparable to AR26 in mission, free delivery model, and use of sport as engagement vehicle for harder-to-reach youth populations.

Others

• Children in Poverty Inverclyde: Greenock-based charity supporting children in poverty in Inverclyde — one of AR26's named referral and partnership beneficiaries. Comparable as a regional Scottish child-poverty charity that AR26 supports through Christmas gift drives and joint programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ar26charity
• Facebookfacebook.com/ar26charity
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ar26charity
• Instagraminstagram.com/ar26charity

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 AR26 Charity