Our thinking

Impact stories from Crowdfunder

9 May, 2025

Some of the most valuable assets in any community are local facilities and clubs that get us out and about, meeting new people and being active. But, in difficult financial times, many of these vital community services are under threat. 

Crowdfunder provides one exciting solution, bringing together government funding, forward-thinking businesses and the power of the community. Last week we were excited to join Crowdfunder, Sport England and corporate backers to hear inspirational and often moving stories of the impact that crowdfunding can create. 

The basketball court in Lambeth run by Black Prince Trust is, for many, the centre of the community – a place to make friends, create opportunities and get active. The Trust started crowdfunding to replace their broken court floor, and received additional funding from Sport England. But the campaign delivered more than money, creating vital exposure that led to new sources of sponsorship, more people taking up basketball, and an invigorated sense of purpose around the club. This was a story told over again by other fund recipients including Bloomsbury Football, Salford Red Devils and Park Lane Stables: the money delivered by crowdfunding was only one of a host of community benefits. 

Traditional sport funding can struggle to reach smaller grassroots groups, but the hugely successful partnership between Crowdfunder and Sport England has overcome that barrier, distributing £6m of Sport England funding to over 1,100 projects. In addition, “the crowd” of local community backers more than trebled the money available: for every £1 invested, communities added £2.13 to the pot.  

The positive impact for communities is huge. Among funded projects, 87%  reported feeling better connected to their communities, 86% felt more financially stable and strengthened their public profile, and over half gained new volunteers, new local donors and new local collaborators. Sport England has embedded the approach in its ongoing funding model, with the crowd and community-oriented businesses at the ready to make more community dreams come true. 

By Ben Wood