2025 Free

Impact Report 2024/25

Colchester United Community Foundation (CUCF) is the official charity partner of Colchester United Football Club, using the power of sport to inspire, enrich and unite communities across Colchester and Essex. The Foundation delivers 40+ programmes to over 10,000 people each week across more than 650 hours of activity, spanning sports participation, education, health and wellbeing, and inclusion. Programmes address loneliness, mental health, youth development and SEND inclusion. For 2024/25 CUCF partnered with Complete PE to strengthen delivery in partner schools. The Foundation also operates the Shrub End Community Sports Centre as a public facility. CUCF is an Armed Forces Covenant signatory, supporting serving personnel, veterans and military families. The Foundation report is published as an interactive flip book.

Report snapshot
97 Views

About

Sports participation programmes; education in schools (Complete PE partnership 2024/25); health and wellbeing initiatives; inclusion programmes (SEND); Premier League and EFL Trust funded projects; holiday camps; community sports facilities (Shrub End Community Sports Centre); disability football; mental health programmes; loneliness reduction initiatives; youth development Custom geography from upload: Colchester & Essex

Key Metrics

Key Metric 1 10,000+ people supported each week across 40+ programmes and 650+ hours of delivery; 9,000 children, young people and adults reached through sports and education programmes weekly
Key Metric 2 40+ programmes delivered across sports participation, education, health and wellbeing and inclusion; programmes tackle loneliness, improve mental health, support young people and create inclusive opportunities for those with SEND
Key Metric 3 Official charity partner of Colchester United FC; uses the power of football to deliver community impact across Colchester, north Essex and beyond; Armed Forces Covenant signatory supporting military families

Key Outcomes

  • Over 10,000 people reached weekly through more than 650 hours of community delivery across 40+ programmes — one of the most active EFL club community foundations in the region
  • Partnership with Complete PE launched for 2024/25 to support schools workforce and deliver high quality PE and curriculum needs across Essex partner schools
  • Community Foundation operates Shrub End Community Sports Centre as a public community sports facility, extending the Foundation's reach beyond football-related programmes into broad community health and physical activity provision

Geography

Other

Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
21,212 people engaged with in 2024/25
Key Metric 2
17,708 people played some form of rugby through Foundation programmes
Key Metric 3
More than £9,000 raised through Foundation Day; 9,000+ given back to grassroots rugby clubs
88% of girls in the Girls Tackle Rugby programme reported feeling more confident, per independent research with Manchester Metropolitan University Institute of Sport
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
£3,112,419 raised to deliver projects in 2024/25; total income £2,920,000 and total expenditure £2,850,000 (year ended 31 August 2024)
Key Metric 2
28,692 people took part in activities; 307,544 visits to sessions; 17,793 sessions delivered
Key Metric 3
More than 16,000 young people engaged across early years and primary programmes; 34 Premier League Primary Stars partner schools; over 7,000 healthy meals provided...
Blackpool FC Sports College A Team won the CEFA league title 2024/25; BFC School received 'Good' Ofsted rating in November 2024; Norbreck Primary Academy reached EFL Utilita Kids Cup National Final at Wembley, winning Regional Finals unbeaten
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
Total income £659,217 and total expenditure £674,216 (year ended 30 June 2025, charity no. 1137275); 10,252 individuals engaged across the 2024/25 season, with 9,713...
Key Metric 2
82% of participants reported positive impact on mental wellbeing; 84% on physical wellbeing; 82% on sense of community; 86% made new friends since joining
Key Metric 3
70% agreed they made positive changes to their life as a result of CUF activity; 63% of adult participants felt a strong sense of...
56.7% of young people hardly ever or never feel lonely vs national average; 94% of participants feel welcome, safe and included; CUF participants ranked higher than Cambridge and UK averages for happiness, life satisfaction and worthwhile life
Impact Snapshot
Key Metric 1
6,744 participants engaged across education, social inclusion, employability, heritage and health programmes in 2024/25
Key Metric 2
37,357 hours of positive activity delivered; £3.9 million in social value generated
Key Metric 3
4,805 pupils supported across 58 education settings; 300+ young people referred across six Engage hubs in Northampton, Kettering, Corby and Milton Keynes
89% of young people attending Engage programme made positive steps; 92% of employability learners moved to positive progression