Grassroots sport is good for our bodies.
When people play sport with other people, being active becomes something to look forward to.
For someone who might never join a gym, a local sports club can provide an accessible way to stay active week after week.
For a child who doesn't think of themselves as "sporty", a local pitch can be where they discover an activity they love.
For older adults, community sport can help maintain strength, mobility and mental health.
BUT…
Every year, 100,000 games are cancelled every year in football alone due to poor pitch conditions, and by 2050, 1 in 4 pitches could be underwater.
Every cancelled game is a missed opportunity for connection, exercise, routine and the countless health benefits that grassroots sport provides.
So, we’re doing something about it.
“It'll make me feel a lot happier because I can socialise, I can train more and get to where I want to go in the future."
Emilia, Old Northamptonians (See Case Study)
We helped this 100-year-old club raise £20,000 to make their pitches playable again and reunite multiple sporting communities.
physical health & grassroots sport
64.6%
of adults in England achieved at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week in 2024–25 - the highest level recorded by Sport England's Active Lives survey.
3.6 million
Children and young people in England were classified as active, achieving an average of at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day across the week in 2024–25. That's 49.1% of children surveyed
£107.2 billion
is the estimated annual social value generated by community sport and physical activity in England.
That includes £96.7 billion in wellbeing value and £10.5 billion in wider savings to the health and social care system.
£9.3 billion
of that wider value is attributed to the prevention of disease and chronic health conditions, across 14 health outcomes including type 2 diabetes and depression.
LET’S DO SOME COOL
STUFF TOGETHER
We want to work with organisations that recognise the connection between physical activity, community spaces and public health.
We're looking for partners across healthcare, sport, fitness, children's wellbeing, local government, research and community development to help us explore and champion the wider health value of grassroots sport.
We'd love to explore how we can work together, whether that's creating educational content, sharing research, developing community programmes, supporting fundraising initiatives or launching new campaigns.
Interested in collaborating with Save Our Grassroots?
