The collaboration between football’s leading anti-discrimination organisation and the UK’s leading grassroots sports engagement platform, will help brands show the importance of inclusion to them and connect with more than 80,000 grassroots teams nationwide.
Built on a shared belief that respect and belonging are shaped early, the partnership will enable brands to support teams by sponsoring bespoke education programmes and co-branded kit and equipment. The initial roll-out of the national programme will be called Football United: The Next Generation; and will support girls’ teams, mixed youth sides and community clubs especially in underrepresented areas.
For brands, this is not a badge-on-a-shirt exercise.
It is a structured, credible route into grassroots football that:
- Places brand investment directly into communities that need it most
- Aligns with nationally recognised inclusion leadership
- Delivers visible, tangible support (kit, equipment, resources)
- Embeds education at the point where football culture is first formed
- Generates authentic, community-led storytelling across partner channels
The programme tackles behaviours and cultural norms early (before exclusion becomes entrenched) helping to normalise inclusion as simply “how football is done.”
It offers brands a high-trust, high-reach platform that combines ESG credibility, youth engagement, community visibility and scalable activation across the UK grassroots network.
Why this partnership matters
Grassroots football is where:
- Young people first experience football culture
- Girls and underrepresented groups are most at risk of dropping out
- Practical support makes the biggest difference to confidence and belonging
This partnership focuses on early intervention, using premium kit, engaged teams and authentic participation to help shape positive behaviour and inclusive culture.
The shared ambition is clear: to shape behaviour and culture early, through positive, visible action at grassroots football.
A clear opportunity for brands
Through this partnership, brands will be able to support new scalable initiatives designed specifically for youth and women’s grassroots football, with Kick It Out providing strategic guidance and safeguarding, and Gift of Kit delivering practical activation on the ground.
For brands, this creates:
- Credible alignment with inclusion, equality and community values
- Positive storytelling focused on enablement and participation, not controversy
- Direct engagement with families, local communities and future consumers
- Clear ESG, DEI and community impact metrics, grounded in real delivery
Crucially, brand involvement is anchored in tangible support: kit, equipment, resources and education.
Delivering:
- A simple, safe and effective way to support inclusion through action
- A platform designed for long-term impact, not one-off moments
- Stories rooted in community, participation and progress
What happens next?
The partnership will go live through a phased rollout, beginning with:
- A shared partnership framework and tone of voice
- The launch of a Kick It Out Resources Hub hosted on Gift of Kit, offering short, practical guidance for coaches, parents and clubs
- A joint communications plan spotlighting real grassroots teams and communities
What they’re saying:
Hollie Varney, Chief Operating Officer of Kick It Out, said:
“To create lasting change in football, we need to focus on everyday experiences at grassroots level, where culture is formed and habits are built. Working with Gift of Kit allows us to turn strategy into action, supporting young people and girls through positive, practical initiatives that help make football a place where everyone feels they belong.”
Paul Barrett, Sales and Marketing Director at Gift of Kit, added:
“Brands increasingly want to be part of solutions, not statements. This partnership with Kick It Out creates a clear, credible way for brands to support grassroots football through action: providing kit, confidence and culture-building support where it really counts. It’s about helping clubs, engaging communities and delivering impact that people can actually see.”
A Platform Built for Real Impact
By focusing on normal club activity, practical support and positive storytelling, the Gift of Kit x Kick It Out partnership offers a new model for how brands, communities and football can work together, shaping a more inclusive future for the game, one team at a time.
About Gift of Kit
Gift of Kit is the UK’s leading grassroots sports engagement platform, connecting brands directly with local clubs and communities through fully funded kit and equipment initiatives. With a network of more than 80,000 grassroots teams across football, cricket, rugby and other participation sports, Gift of Kit enables brands to deliver tangible, measurable impact at scale.
Since launch, the platform has unlocked millions of pounds’ worth of support for grassroots sport, helping remove financial barriers, increase participation, and strengthen community belonging. By combining brand investment with real club need, Gift of Kit creates authentic partnerships that move beyond messaging and into meaningful action.
