British Pubs Pour £40 Million A Year Into Grassroots Sports

British pubs are powering the nation’s grassroots and community sports clubs having served up £40 million in financial support over the past year, a new report has revealed.

Pubs Power Sport from PubAid has shone a light on the huge value pubs are providing to the nation’s physical and mental wellbeing through financial and in-kind support of local sports teams and initiatives.

The research shows that more than 6.7 million sport and activity sessions are powered by pubs every year across the UK. Around six in every ten pubs support a sport related initiative, and those who do, facilitate an average of 20 hours of physical activity per month within their communities.
From financial donations to fundraising and providing facilities, more than 1.67 million people have benefited as a result of the support from pubs.

By raising £40 million annually for sports clubs, it is estimated that pubs generate £160 million in social value based on the Government’s social value ratio of £1 invested in sport equals £4 returned.

Des O’Flanagan, co-founder of PubAid, the positive voice for UK pubs, said: “Pubs are an essential but often unseen force behind grassroots and community sport.
“Over two thirds of pubs are even supporting more sport now than in 2019 despite the challenges of the last six years for the sector.

“Behind every statistic is a publican giving time, space and care to keep local teams alive. From funding kits to hosting yoga in the function rooms and teaching darts teams, pubs are playing a crucial part in improving the physical and mental health of the nation.

“The findings of Pubs Power Sport 2025 confirm what the industry has long known, pubs are a vital part of the nation’s social infrastructure.

“The alignment between pub-led activity and national priorities is strong, from supporting the Government’s Levelling Up agenda to playing a vital role in combating loneliness across communities.”

PubAid has identified five dimensions of pub power – physical health, mental wellbeing, community cohesion, economic resilience, volunteering and skills and said the report confirms what the industry has long known: pubs are a vital part of the nation’s social infrastructure.

As part of its 2030 Vision, PubAid is targeting an extra 25% of community sports clubs to have a pub partner.

There are tangible benefits according to 90 percent of pubs. More than half (51%) saw increased footfall, 42% have an enhanced reputation, while 40% have seen increased sales.

These benefits are felt more by pubs that are able to provide £2,000 or more in support as opposed to pubs that invest £500 or less. The data shows the differences in footfall (57% compared to 44%); reputation (58% compared to 39%) and sales (54% compared to 36%).
Showing live sport also plays a major role with pubs that broadcast sport showing better data in the survey. It revealed that 70% of pubs showing live sport have increased their support for community sport since 2019 compared to 51% that don’t. Pubs with live sport also see increased footfall and increased sales compared to pubs that don’t show live sport.
The report, backed by Guinness and Sky Business, showed that despite the fall in the number of pubs across the country, the £40 million given in 2025 matches the levels of support 2019.

However, despite injecting £40 million, pubs would like to be able to do more to support grassroots and community clubs but 86% say that barriers are preventing them from doing so.

The biggest barrier is a lack of budget with 68% saying it’s hard to find the funds to make a difference. Some pubs (19%) do question the return of investment, while 15% admitted to a lack of awareness on who and how to support a local group.

Pubs Power Sport – the beneficiaries

Football is the biggest beneficiary with 76 percent of pubs supporting a football team or club. This has seen a huge increase from 40% in 2019.

The staple pub sports of darts (26%) and pool (20%) also get strong backing, while rugby is the fourth most popular sport supported at 19% – up from 14% six years ago. Cricket comes in fifth at 13%, a three percent drop from 2019.

The report also highlighted under-represented groups are also feeling the benefit. Youth teams are the most commonly supported group (43%), while people with disabilities and/or mental health conditions (20%), female groups (19%) and the over 55s (15%) are also being backed.

A breakdown into the amounts given, revealed that, of those pubs supporting sports clubs, nearly one third (31%) raise more than £1,000 and four percent of pubs raise more than £5,000 a year.

The main area of support from pubs is sponsorship (60%). This is followed by providing free space for events (43%), raffle prizes (40%), free food and drink (40%), and financial donations (36%).

As for the primary motive for supporting the grassroots sports, the top reason is to ‘strengthen ties with the local community’, with three quarters citing this. Just under half (46%) see it as pride in supporting the area, while the top five reasons are completed with creating a community focussed atmosphere (41%), building loyalty (37%) and reputation (36%).

The Pub Powers Sport Report can be accessed at www.pubaid.co.uk