Impact Report 2025

Cambridge United Foundation (charity no. 1137275) is the official charity of Cambridge United Football Club, based at the Cledara Abbey Stadium, Newmarket Road, Cambridge. The 2025 Impact Report covers 10,252 participants across Premier League Kicks, disability football, older adult programmes, schools work and community health initiatives, with 82% reporting positive impact on mental wellbeing and 86% making new friends through Foundation sessions.

Report snapshot
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📋About

Premier League Kicks (161 engaged participants across Abbey, North Cambridge, Trumpington and Queen Edith, running daily for minimum 42 weeks per year); Premier League Primary Stars (7,500+ young people engaged, exceeding targets); Parability pan-disability football league (three tiers, monthly tournaments); Forever United older adults programme (Community Café, Wellbeing Walks, Walking Football, Walking Cricket, Seniors Lunches, Memory Café, Strength and Balance, Bright Horizon Café); Pledge United (PSHE-PE hybrid tackling VAWG and misogyny in schools, 142 boys in 2024/25); Oxford Phoenix-style refugee integration; Holiday Activities and Food programme; Run Club; Foundation Matchday; KidsZone; Active Science Day (AstraZeneca partnership, 200 school children); Men's Health Event; EFL Girls Cup; Sleep Out fundraiser (76 participants, £20,000 raised); Gala Dinner; London to Brighton Cycle Ride (£8,600); Cambridge Half Marathon (£4,000)

📊Key Metrics

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 being young people in schools Key Metric 1
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 2
70% agreed they made positive changes to their life as a result of CUF activity; 63% of adult participants felt a strong sense of community/belonging, 2% above the national average; 78% agreed they feel more motivated to be physically active (Forever United older adults programme) Key Metric 3

Key Outcomes

  • 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
  • Active Science Day welcomed almost 200 school children to Cledara Abbey Stadium; Sleep Out raised over £20,000 in partnership with Wintercomfort; Bright Horizon mental health drop-in café launched February 2025 with Cambridge legends Luke Chadwick and John Taylor; 60% of participants have been with CUF for over one year; 16% for over five years
  • Cambridge identified as most unequal city in the UK (Centre for Cities); Abbey and Kings Hedges wards (on Cambridge United's doorstep) are among the 20% most deprived areas in the UK; average life expectancy gap of 11.6 years between most deprived and most affluent areas; 'United for Cambridge' business partnership network launching January 2026

📍Geography

East of England

2025 Enhanced

Impact Review 2024/25

£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 1
28,692 people took part in activities; 307,544 visits to sessions; 17,793 sessions delivered
Key Metric 2
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 on HAF camps
Key Metric 3
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
2025 Enhanced

Impact Report 2024-25

6,744 participants engaged across education, social inclusion, employability, heritage and health programmes in 2024/25
Key Metric 1
37,357 hours of positive activity delivered; £3.9 million in social value generated
Key Metric 2
4,805 pupils supported across 58 education settings; 300+ young people referred across six Engage hubs in Northampton, Kettering, Corby and Milton Keynes
Key Metric 3
89% of young people attending Engage programme made positive steps; 92% of employability learners moved to positive progression
2025 Enhanced

Impact Report 2024/25

18,500 people engaged in 2024-25; 10,829 hours of coaching delivered; 13,880 school and college participants
Key Metric 1
83% of HITZ participants progressed into education, employment or training; 6,950 women and girls introduced to rugby; 15% of participants had a disability or learning needs
Key Metric 2
3,000 young lives impacted through Tackling Insights STEM programme; 700+ hot nutritious meals provided to children in school holidays; 2,750 match day participants
Key Metric 3
83% of Fit as a Bull participants incorporated physical exercise into daily routine; 79% saw increased confidence; combined weight loss of 129kg from 24/25 cohort; 37% increase in feeling inspired through Tackling Insights