Pubs Power Sport Report 2025

A new initiative, Pubs Power Sport, has been launched to showcase how pubs across the UK quietly underpin community sport. From sponsoring kits and hosting team talks to fundraising for equipment, pubs have long been the backbone of local clubs — but their contribution often goes unnoticed.

The campaign, led by PubAid in partnership with Guinness and Sky Business, aims to change that narrative. Research has been carried out to measure the social, physical, and emotional value pubs bring to communities through sport. The findings will be published in the Pubs Power Sport Report this November, with results shared in Parliament and the media to ensure policymakers understand the scale of the impact.

 

Beyond the Bar: How Pubs Keep Sport Alive

• Sponsorship & Support: Thousands of grassroots teams rely on pubs for kit sponsorship and match-day gatherings.
• Fundraising & Facilities: Pubs regularly raise money for gear and provide spaces for meetings, celebrations, and community events.
• Wellbeing & Connection: By supporting sport, pubs foster physical activity, social inclusion, and emotional wellbeing in towns and villages nationwide.

 

Campaign organisers stress that this is not just about sport, but about community resilience and wellbeing. By keeping local clubs alive, pubs help strengthen social ties and provide safe, welcoming spaces for people of all ages.

The campaign also seeks to give visibility to publicans themselves — the “unsung heroes of British sport.” Their efforts, often voluntary and unpublicised, have enabled countless training sessions, matches, and tournaments to take place each year.