Way back in 2003 we were commissioned by The FA to develop a toolkit called Sweating the Asset. The idea was that football clubs, rather than using their stadia once a fortnight, should open them up as multi-use hubs capable of transforming and enriching some of our most deprived communities. In addition, really creative thinking around this idea, could make clubs more sustainable.

It remains a very good idea. An enlightened few have embraced it; many have extended their offer, though mostly in a transactional way; whilst others simply inserted the word 'community' into their PR material.

With the demise of Bury and Bolton Wanderers (almost), and the likes of Macclesfield Town on the brink of survival, we urgently need to revisit the idea of Sweating the Asset. 'We', meaning clubs, communities, local authorities, public services, funding bodies and governing bodies.

The power of football makes a stadium an exciting place to be. We need to step up the pace to make them places not just for football, but for culture; sport; health; education; community and so much more.

When a club like Bury dies, part of the town dies. It doesn't have to be like that, in fact with creative thinking and an injection of energy from a wide range of partners, stadia can become catalysts for regenerating some of our most deprived neighbourhoods.

This event will show you how.

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PROGRAMME

9.30 Chairman's Welcome

​9.40 Inside out and outside in – Lessons from London's 2012 Legacy
Lord Andrew Mawson is one of the world’s great social entrepreneurs. He created a vibrant community hub called the Bromley-by-Bow centre, having inherited a run-down church with a dwindling congregation. Today the centre turns over £4 million, employs hundreds of local people and includes; health; education; culture; arts and enterprise. Andrew believes that churches and small football clubs have a lot in common – their dwindling congregations meet once a week; they share their songs and chants; and they have an unshakable belief that the future will be brighter. Football clubs need to learn the from what he did – how to take the inside out and bring the outside in. As a Director of the London Legacy Development Company he has helped to shape the future of the Olympic Park. Here he explains how big things can grow from small beginnings and challenges football clubs, public authorities, business and communities to think bigger.
Lord Andrew Mawson of Bromley-by-Bow

10.40 Coffee

11.00 Stadia as multi-use spaces with endless possibilities: To Brentford and Beyond
At a previous It's a Goal! conference, Brentford FC met AFL Architects and the vision for a new Brentford Community Stadium was born. After many iterations, a global financial crash and 18 years, the stadium will open next season. Architect John Roberts tells the story and brings lessons from his intervening projects designing stadia for World Cups, Euro's and the EPL. Here he sets out his vision for the next generation of true community stadia.
John Roberts, Director, AFL Architects

​11.40 What value the community club? How to measure social impact

• Funders require ever greater and more rigorous evidence

• Optimism bias and the difficulties and pitfalls of trying to measure impact

• Sport VB and online social impact bank - tool for objectively measuring impact

• Demonstrating return on investment (ROI) - case study Everton 'Safe Hands' project

• ​Blending the qualitative with the quantitative

Marc Leckie, Harlequins RFC, formerly Director, Charlton Athletic Community Trust

12.30 Lunch

1.30 One Stadium, 100 Uses: Who's got the money and how do you get it?
Malcolm McClean wrote the FA's toolkit Sweating the Asset. Here he updates the concept by looking at the horizon for funding community projects. After a period of austerity it is believed that there is no money, yet this isn't the case. There is money, but to get it you have to move away from a 'begging bowl' approach. It's about aligning what clubs are doing to what people, public services, businesses and communities want. This might require some unusual thinking.
Malcolm McClean, Founder, Bearhunt

2.10 For the People by the People

• How to give control of community facilities to local people

• Building new interdependencies between club and community

• New mutual structures and how they can work

• Gaining a funding advantage

Cliff Mills, Consultant, Anthony Collins Solicitors

2.50 Tea

3.10 FC United of Manchester; From Big Coats to Toy Story, ideas from a creative community club

• In the beginning – giving life to a club and building a community

• You don’t have to be rich or big to create social value

• Building a permanent home

• From Big Coats to Toy Story – how the ideas keep coming

• How far can community clubs go?

Vinnie Thompson, Community Liaison Officer, FCUM

3.50 Closing discussion

4.00 Close