Changing Lives Through Sport: Exploring the role of charitable foundations linked to UK professional clubs

The challenge

This study investigates the growing prominence of charitable sports foundations established by professional sports clubs (e.g. football and cricket) across the UK.

Charitable sport foundations linked to professional clubs harness the perceived power of sport and their club’s brand to inspire and support communities, tackling inclusion, mental health, poverty, and aspirations among disadvantaged groups.

While, the specific aim admission varies from foundation to foundation, broadly speaking they all seek to make a positive impact on social and health-related issues within local communities.

Prior research has tended to focus on the corporate social responsibility (CSR) motivations behind such initiatives and their community-based activities, but there is limited academic examining how foundations approach measuring the ‘impact’ of what they do through their community programmes.

This research aims to fill this research gap by examining the determinants of impact measurement and engaging with industry practitioners, and policymakers (e.g., Premier League Charitable Fund, England and Wales Cricket Board) on the topic.

The findings will provide insights into how sport-based interventions drive social change and inform future strategies for effective programme evaluation, impact and learning.

The approach

Recognising the lack of literature in the area, the project emphasised the value of industry practitioners and policy makers. The study involved the following interconnected phases:

• Phase 1: a rapid review of relevant strategic documents at national level to identify how measuring impact was situated within them
• Phase 2: 29 in depth interviews with the CEO or Head of the Charitable Sports Foundation across Football (Foundations associated with Premier League, Championship, League One clubs) and Cricket (Foundations associated with first class county clubs)
• Phase 3: Review of ‘impact reports/annual reports’ of charitable foundations

The impact

Presentation of key findings and sense making workshops with senior leaders at:

• Premier League Charitable Fund
• England and Wales Cricket Board
• Yorkshire Cricket Foundation
• Chance to Shine

Secured a research contract from Chance to Shine to evaluate its Street Clubs provision following presentation of key findings.

Learnings and reflections from the project to be shared at CSJ event ‘The Sport Evaluation and Impact Workshop Day’ in June 2025 which is dedicated to industry professionals and researchers who are eager to develop their understanding of the latest thinking and practice in sport evaluation and impact.