This isn’t about turning sports clubs into clinical services. It’s about supporting and empowering clubs to:
- Welcome and support a more diverse range of participants
- Understand when to refer or seek advice from health professionals
- Manage risk and inclusion through appropriately adapted activity
- Build trusted relationships with local health partners
This work has emerged from growing momentum to better integrate physical activity within health systems and to address levels of physical inactivity and long-term health conditions across London.
Grassroots community sports clubs have significant potential to support prevention, condition management, and behaviour change for people with, or at risk of, long-term health conditions.
However, many clubs currently face barriers that limit this potential, including gaps in workforce skills and confidence, limited relational capability, organisational constraints, and uncertainty around safeguarding, risk management, and referral pathways. This limits their ability to safely and inclusively engage participants and integrate effectively with local health systems.
We’re working to create “health ready” community sport settings – clubs that feel confident and equipped to safely and inclusively support people who are currently inactive or who need structured physical activity to help manage their health.
Grassroots community sports clubs have huge potential to support prevention, condition management, and behaviour change. But many clubs tell us they face barriers:
- Limited confidence or experience working with people with, or at risk of, long-term health conditions
- Access to accessible facilities and equipment to enable better inclusion
- Gaps in training and workforce development
- Uncertainty about what “health ready” provision looks like in practice
- Questions about safeguarding and referral pathways
While we know many clubs are already stretched, becoming health ready could bring real benefits:
- Reach new participants – including people who are inactive or living with long-term health conditions
- Build skills and confidence – through training and practical resources for volunteers and coaches
- Strengthen local partnerships – increased visibility and credibility with health partners
- Access support – potential grant funding to address equipment, adaptations, or workforce development needs
- Demonstrate impact – clearer evidence of community value to strengthen future funding applications
- Align with your mission – many clubs already want to serve their whole community – this helps make that possible
Phase 1: Research
We’re speaking directly with grassroots community clubs across London to understand:
- What clubs need to become “health ready”
- The barriers they face and opportunities for support
- How training, resources, and partnerships can be designed to work in the real world
Phase 2: Test and Learn Pilot
Based on what we learn, we’ll work with a cohort of pilot clubs to test training, support packages, and practical models for health integration. This could include:
- Upskilling volunteers and coaches
- Building referral and signposting relationships with health partners
- Providing grant support to address practical barriers
- Evaluating what works and what doesn’t
Phase 3: Evaluation and Learning
We’ll share findings and develop a tested, scalable model that can benefit clubs across London and beyond
This project brings together:
- Community sports clubs – the heart of this work
- Strategic bodies working with clubs such as: National Governing Bodies (NGBs), Sports Foundations and Club Community Organisations (CCOs) – helping us reach and support affiliated clubs
- Health partners – ICBs, public health teams, and primary care networks
- Sport England and sector partners – sharing learning and best practice
If you’re involved in grassroots community sport and are interested in this work, we’d love to hear from you.
For clubs: Watch this space for opportunities to participate in research conversations and pilot activity throughout 2026.
For strategic bodies (NGBs, CCOs etc): We’re seeking partners to support club engagement in Phase 1 research. This is a light-touch collaboration with real potential to benefit your clubs and workforce development goals.
For health partners: We’re keen to ensure this work aligns with local health priorities and builds credible pathways for integration.