What is club culture and why is it important?
Club culture is the everyday experience of being part of a club; how welcome people feel, how concerns are heard and acted upon, and whether members trust that the club will support them to take part in a sport they love. It is shaped by all the people within the club; members, volunteers and committee.
Across our partnerships in Greater Manchester, GM Moving have seen that many clubs can access funding to deliver sport. However, not all clubs have the support they need to improve their club culture. This means they may struggle to train volunteers, or to survey their members about what would make the club feel safe, welcoming, and inclusive.
At GM Moving, we wanted to explore how funding could be used as a way to support clubs to work on their culture, by giving the people within clubs the resources and capacity to focus on what their members need.
How can funding support club culture?
Sport England provides investment to support positive experiences in physical activity.
By making positive club culture an explicit aim of the funding, we are seeking to influence what clubs think about and prioritise. For some clubs, this may encourage them to think about their culture in a new way. For others, it may provide the opportunity to act on an area of development they already wanted to focus on.
This intentional focus on culture is what makes the approach different, and it is already making waves across our city-region. As a result of targeted funding from our team at GM Moving, more clubs can now access training to improve their club culture. This includes training that helps volunteers to support their members, and coaches to adapt sessions so more players can take part in a way that works for them.
Club spotlight: Why Avro FC applied for funding
“When our members told us they wanted a stronger, more positive club culture, we knew we had to act and this funding has made that possible. We applied because we wanted to do something different: put the campaign in the hands of our young players and parents themselves, rather than just issuing rules from the top. The difference this will make is profound. We’re not just putting up posters; we’re creating a movement where everyone—from the sidelines to the pitch—understands their role in making Avro FC a place where young people can thrive.” – Charlie O’Brien, Chief Operating Officer, Avro FC
Helping clubs to listen, learn and act
The key to success for many clubs lies in capturing valuable feedback from their members. With this funding support, clubs are now able to make time to listen to their members, which helps them understand what matters most and where changes will have the biggest impact. When members feel heard and see their clubs act on their views, they build stronger relationships with the club, feel safer speaking up and are more likely to keep coming back.
This approach to funding is also helping clubs build the knowledge and skills they need in order to respond to what they hear. This includes developing awareness of youth mental health, trauma-informed practice, child and adult safeguarding, and neurodivergence in sport.
Clubs can also use the support to make practical changes to their spaces and sessions. New equipment can help coaches deliver more accessible sessions, so families and people of all ages can take part, watch from the sidelines, and feel they belong.
Club spotlight: Manchester Bees Dodgeball Club
With the club funding support, Manchester Bees Dodgeball Club are creating a new committee role to represent junior members. They’re also setting up a drop-in space where players and parents can talk to volunteers, share concerns and build stronger relationships.
This is helping young players move more smoothly from the junior team to the adult team, building the kind of positive club culture where members feel welcome and included.
The club is also encouraging young leaders to gain coaching qualifications and complete training in neurodivergence in sport, making sessions more inclusive for everyone.
“We loved the idea of adding a player representative on our committee, but it was something our volunteers hadn’t gotten round to doing just as this funding was announced – it gave us the motivation we needed! Plus, it gave them a platform to enact some positive change from the get-go by giving us a budget for some team building and networking activities.”
Club spotlight: Newton Cricket Club
GM Moving are supporting Newton Cricket Club with funding to invest in family-friendly equipment for their clubhouse, helping the growing women’s team while creating a more welcoming space for families.
New picnic benches, children’s games and improved toilet facilities will give members and their families a better space to socialise and play, making it easier for women to attend training and focus on their sport.
“We hoped this funding would help us to make the club more inclusive especially to local parents with young children. Over the summer many young children have been able to make use of this equipment and allowed parents to stay at the club longer and watch their older children play.”
What we have learned for the future of funding
Clubs across Greater Manchester want more say in how they develop, so members feel included and can enjoy community sport. Their applications showed just how much they care about their members experiences and how much demand there is for funding that puts club culture first.
Listening and staying flexible makes the system work better for everyone. That’s why we are doing funding differently, shaping it around what clubs and their members need.
Alongside Sport England, we will continue to put club culture first, helping every member, volunteer and family feel safe, welcome and valued.
Why this funding matters to local clubs
“Sports clubs are where people choose to go in their free time to blow off some steam. They are one of the key times where you can be a big kid and just play, and experience the mental health benefits that play brings. It’s crucial for people that they are welcoming, inclusive and safe so they can feel secure and forget about the stresses of the outside world whilst they are there.” – Manchester Bees Dodgeball Club
“It’s important that sports club are welcoming and safe environments for all who attend as for some this is a release from the pressures of every day life. We want juniors and adults to feel like they have somewhere they can come and relax and enjoy being there”- Newton Cricket Club
“Sport clubs should be where kids fall in love with the game, build confidence, and learn respect, not where they feel pressure or fear speaking up. By training our volunteers properly and establishing clear pathways for raising concerns, we’re sending a message: everyone here matters, everyone will be heard, and everyone deserves to feel safe and supported. That’s not just important to me as COO—it’s fundamental to what grassroots sport should be.” – Avro FC
