Across the UK, grassroots sports clubs are facing a perfect storm of rising costs, ageing infrastructure and increasing climate pressures. At the same time, they are being asked to deliver more social value than ever before – improving health, tackling loneliness and creating stronger communities.

Against that backdrop, the growth of the Save Today, Play Tomorrow programme offers a glimpse into how grassroots sport is beginning to rethink sustainability, not as an environmental add-on, but as a core part of long-term resilience.

Sustainability Starts at Community Level

Founded by Birmingham County Football Association (BCFA), Save Today, Play Tomorrow was created around a simple idea: clubs should not have to choose between financial survival and environmental responsibility.

As BCFA Chief Executive Kevin Shoemake explains:

“Save Today, Play Tomorrow was born out of a simple belief – that grassroots clubs shouldn’t have to choose between keeping the lights on and doing the right thing.”

That message is increasingly resonating across the sector. While elite sport often dominates headlines, grassroots clubs remain the foundation of participation. They provide places where people play, volunteer, socialise and connect with their communities every week.

The economic impact is significant too. According to programme figures, community sport saves the UK economy an estimated £7.1 billion annually through improved physical and mental health outcomes.

Turning Good Intentions into Action

What distinguishes Save Today, Play Tomorrow is its practical focus.

Rather than concentrating solely on carbon emissions, the programme encourages clubs to take action across environmental, social and financial sustainability. Participating organisations have introduced equipment recycling schemes, lift-sharing initiatives, LED lighting upgrades, solar panels and nature-based solutions to help manage flood risk.

These projects may seem modest compared with the sustainability strategies of major sporting organisations, but their cumulative impact can be substantial.

More importantly, they demonstrate a growing recognition that sustainability and resilience are closely linked. Lower energy bills, stronger community engagement and improved access to funding can all help clubs remain viable in an increasingly challenging operating environment.

A New Phase of Growth

The programme’s next chapter comes through a new partnership with Climate Action for Associations (CAFA), which will now act as strategic lead and secretariat as the initiative expands beyond football.

For Alison Heppenstall, Chief Executive of CAFA, the issue is ultimately about future-proofing community sport.

“Sports clubs are the heartbeat of their communities, but long-term resilience doesn’t happen by accident.”

Her comments reflect a broader shift taking place across the sports sector, where sustainability is increasingly being viewed through the lens of governance, financial resilience and community impact, as well as environmental performance.

Playing the Long Game

The ambition for Save Today, Play Tomorrow is straightforward: help more clubs remain relevant, resilient and sustainable in the years ahead.

As Shoemake reflects, what began as a local football initiative has already become “something far bigger”. The challenge now is scaling that impact while retaining the grassroots ethos that made the programme successful in the first place.

Heppenstall believes the opportunity is significant:

“We’re proud to be supporting clubs with the tools and guidance they need to put sustainability at the heart of their future and ensure they continue to thrive for generations to come.”

At a time when sport is increasingly being asked to demonstrate its wider value to society, initiatives such as Save Today, Play Tomorrow suggest that some of the sector’s most meaningful sustainability stories may emerge not from the world’s biggest stadiums, but from the local clubs that sit at the centre of community life.