Club Assist: Everything your club needs for just £150 a month

Running a sports club well takes more than enthusiasm. It takes the right legal structure, good governance, access to funding, and the digital tools to operate effectively. For many volunteer-led clubs, putting all of that in place feels like an enormous task.

The challenge is real and well-documented. Research by the Sport and Recreation Alliance found that 32% of grassroots clubs are now operating without any financial reserves — up from 25% in 2021 — and that 50% of clubs had to dip into reserves just to meet basic liabilities. At the same time, only one in three clubs reported any intention to seek new funding opportunities, suggesting that most are managing day-to-day without the capacity to think strategically about their future.

Club Assist is designed to change that.

What Is Club Assist?

Club Assist is a structured support package from Club Development Solutions, giving your club access to everything it needs to build strong legal, governance, and funding foundations — all for £150 a month.

It's built around the most common challenges sports clubs face: getting the right legal structure in place, accessing charitable status and the financial benefits that come with it, and making use of digital fundraising and grant platforms that most clubs don't know about or don't have time to set up.

What's Included?

✅ Support with Charitable Incorporation — Guidance and practical assistance to help your club choose and establish the right legal structure, including CIO, SCIO, or CLG, and support with CASC registration where appropriate.

🎁 HMRC Registration for Gift Aid — We'll register your club with HMRC so you can claim Gift Aid on eligible donations and increase the value of every contribution you receive.

💻 Google for Nonprofits Setup and Management — Access free and discounted Google tools available to charitable organisations. We handle setup and ongoing management in line with Google's requirements.

📢 Google Ad Grants Setup — Apply for and configure access to up to $10,000 per month in in-kind advertising through Google Search.

💸 JustGiving and ActionFunder Setup — Get set up on both platforms to access online fundraising and grant funding opportunities.

🌐 Goodstack Registration — Access a wide range of free and discounted software and digital tools available to eligible nonprofits, reducing your operating costs.

🎓 Full Access to the Club Development Academy — Unlock all educational modules covering the five core pillars of club development: People, Finances, Foundations, Community, and Facilities.

📚 Trustee Training Session — A session covering legal duties, governance, compliance, and accountability, helping trustees understand their role and meet regulatory expectations.

📬 Monthly Newsletter — A monthly round-up of new funding opportunities, governance updates, sector news, case studies, and resources from the Club Development Academy.

Why Club Assist?

Most of the tools and opportunities included in Club Assist are available to clubs — but accessing them takes time, knowledge, and administrative effort that volunteer committees simply don't have. Nearly 70% of sports clubs have never received external support for business planning, and the majority are run entirely by volunteers managing governance, finance, fundraising, and administration alongside everything else.

Club Assist removes that barrier, handling setup and management so your club can focus on what it does best.

For £150 a month, you get a structured, managed service that helps your club become funding-ready, reduce costs, and operate with the governance and legal foundations that funders and partners expect to see.

Contact us to get started.