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Gamechanging Futures

The Polgrove, where Bexhill United FC play their home games. Credit: Amy Marshall

Gamechanging Futures will showcase how sport can bring people together to strengthen communities and take action on climate change – working with six grassroots sports clubs across England, transforming them into thriving community climate hubs.

Climate change is impossible to ignore for local sport

The Football Association (FA) estimates that 120,000 football matches were cancelled in 2025 due to harsh weather, while a third of community pitches are now unplayable for up to two months of the season due to flooding and waterlogging. Beyond the fixture backlog, climate-related damage and disruptions to grassroots sport take a massive financial toll, currently estimated at £320 million annually in England. Local communities also suffer, from school groups losing access to pitches to thousands of fans missing out on matchdays.

 

Sports clubs are community hubs of change

As well as being on the frontline of impacts, sports clubs can be central to communities making change, ranging from more sustainable food options to thinking about lower carbon travel to matches. Gamechanging Futures will put communities front and centre in the club’s journeys in tackling climate change.

FC United of Manchester fans show their support

FC United of Manchester fans show their support

Our club has huge ambition to grow and become an integral community anchor organisation in an area with structural societal challenges - but a strong and diverse spirit.

Nadim Hammad, Office Manager at FC United of Manchester

Project goals

Over three years (between 2026-2029), the project will:

  • Train Climate Ambassadors to lead local engagement.
  • Support clubs to co-design and deliver sustainability plans.
  • Reach thousands of community members through events and initiatives.
  • Create a national Climate Hub to share learning, resources and stories.

Project partners

We are pleased to be partnering with Pledgeball, a UK-based charity working at the intersection of sport and climate action, using the passion of fans and clubs to drive positive environmental change.

Pledgeball engages supporters to make practical, trackable pledges that lead to measurable behaviour change, while also working with clubs and sporting bodies to advise on longer-term operational improvements.

The sports clubs we are excited to be collaborating with are:

Thanks to National Lottery players, Gamechanging Futures has received £1.5 million over 3 years from The National Lottery Community Fund, the largest community funder in the UK.

We are very excited to be part of this project to make real climate change habits through our club, community and beyond. We are very much a grassroots club with a diverse range of members of the local community playing, socialising and being at the club every week.

Kirsty Garrett, Captain and Coach at Sutton Churches Tennis Club

Walking Tennis club members at Sutton Churches Tennis Club. Walking tennis is an inclusive, slower-paced version of the traditional game.

What's in the works

Hear from the sports clubs about what they’re planning – from reusable sports kit initiatives to planning community events – and find out why we’re so excited to be part of this project.

 

Read on

Stay tuned

As we are in the early stages of the project, check back for updates and sign up to our newsletter below to stay in the loop.

Any questions? We welcome you to contact us.

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