Colchester Grassroots Club Generates Estimated £1.2m of Social Value

AFC Pegasus Colchester FC has calculated that it creates £1,227,400 of social value a year, using a new estimator available through Essex FA. The figure is linked specifically to the Colchester constituency and covers value created through volunteering, local economic activity, reduced pressure on health services, and benefits to mental health and wellbeing.

The estimator draws on inputs a club can supply itself, such as the number of players and volunteers and its annual spending, and Essex County FA verifies drafts. The tool was built by State of Life, which is described as an adviser on HM Treasury’s “Green Book” wellbeing guidance. Clubs that use it receive a full impact report, data on life satisfaction, volunteer time and wellbeing value, health system benefits and total social return, and a media pack.

AFC Pegasus runs youth football aimed at giving young people a safe space to build confidence on and off the pitch, and has a fundraising partnership with the children’s mental health charity Kids Inspire. The charity offers free trauma support to families across Essex and Suffolk who could not otherwise afford it.

Club secretary Carl Booth said the report would help the club grow. He described impact reports as “a catalyst for growth” and said the club expected them to help attract new players, volunteers and sponsors. The club can use the figures when speaking to potential sponsors and other organisations, and in support of its ambitions to develop a facility for the club and community.

The figure is an estimate produced by a model rather than audited accounts, and it applies to one club. But most grassroots clubs create value in similar ways, through volunteer time, regular physical activity and the connections people make there, though few have put a number on it. A figure like this gives clubs something concrete to show sponsors, funders and local organisations, alongside their usual accounts.

The estimator supports the county FA’s #MovingForward Strategy 2028, which aims to tackle inequalities and improve health for all through football in Essex. For any clubs in the county wishing to carry out a similar estimation of their social value, the calculator is available here.