Clubs across the Trident Leagues are gearing up for the start of a new season this weekend, once again supported by the award-winning Pitching In partnership.
Pitching In was established in 2020 by Entain, the global sports betting and gaming group behind Ladbrokes and Coral. The programme is now entering its seventh season as title sponsor of the Northern Premier League, Isthmian League and Southern League.
The partnership was designed to be different from a conventional sponsorship: its focus is on helping clubs deepen their engagement with local communities rather than promoting Entain’s consumer brands. Since its launch, £720,000 in grants has been awarded through the Trident Community Fund (TCF), helping clubs across the country to establish or expand community projects. The Pitching In Volunteer Hub also enables clubs to advertise vital voluntary roles and connect with people who want to support them.
Pitching In has also recognised long-serving stalwarts at Trident League clubs with volunteer certificates, often presented alongside local MPs, with further recognition events planned in the coming months.
Pitching In ambassador Stuart Pearce will also be heading up and down the nation as he continues to meet volunteers, try his hand at various tasks and provide unforgettable experiences for fans and players alike.
In May, Pearce travelled to Essex to put his boots back on and take part in a Fitness and Football session with Grays Athletic, made possible by TCF funding.
“It cannot be underestimated how powerful it is to put on sessions like this for people in the community who need a bit of a lift and some help at times,” said the former England captain.
“The Impact of Entain's Pitching In initiative began during the Covid-19 pandemic, when clubs needed all the support they could get, and continues to make a massive difference.
“I am looking forward to seeing more projects get off the ground in the coming months and witnessing first-hand the boosts they are giving to their communities.”
Heaton Stannington are among the clubs to have benefited from Pitching In TCF funding in the last 12 months. The Pitching In Northern Premier League side used their grant to establish The Futbol Mundial Academy, a holiday club which combines football sessions with classroom activities and is aimed at children from lower income backgrounds.
Chris Davison, Heaton’s head of junior football, said: “We wanted to help kids who might not be able to go away to fancy places during the holidays and may otherwise just be sat at home on iPads.
“Getting this far wouldn’t have been possible this early on without the grant. Being a voluntary organisation, it is very hard to get things off the ground. This boost in the bank has been phenomenal.”
In the Pitching In Isthmian League, Cambridge City used their funding boost to grow their successful City Fest in June.
CEO Alice Dewey said: “Having the Pitching In TCF donations towards the event allowed us to cover the costs of the stage and help towards marquees and bigger bands to make it a bigger event this year.
“We want to build on it year on year and run not just City Fest, but similar events and more of them throughout the year.”
Pitching In Southern League outfit Stourbridge decided to split the money to fund two separate projects; providing a venue and specialist support for stroke sufferers and putting on football taster sessions for children aged between six and eight.
Club director Stephen Hyde said: “The funding is critical. The club is funding significant ground improvements, so we wouldn’t have been able to support the increased sessions without this grant or put on the sessions for the youngsters.
“Without the funding from the Pitching In TCF, we simply couldn’t have accommodated the expansion.”
Pitching In NPL/Isthmian/Southern League chair said: “Pitching In has created a genuinely different kind of sponsorship partnership for non-League football. Entain has not used it as a platform to promote their brands; instead, it has put clubs, volunteers and local communities at the heart of the programme.
“The Trident Community Fund and Volunteer Hub give clubs practical support to extend their reach beyond matchdays, and we have seen first-hand the difference that community-first approach is making across our league.”
Jay Dossetter, a spokesman for Entain's Pitching In initiative said: “Our aim with Pitching In has always been to support football’s power to make a positive difference in the communities it serves. Non-League clubs are often at the heart of their towns and neighbourhoods, and we wanted to create a partnership that would help them build on that role rather than simply provide another platform to promote our brands.”
Pitching In was recognised for its work by scooping the Grassroots Initiative of the Year prize at the inaugural Global Football Industry Awards in 2025 and a nomination in the same category has followed this year, with the ceremony to take place in November.
GFIA host and co-founder Jamie Carragher said: “Everyone sees the players lifting trophies, but there are thousands of people working tirelessly behind the scenes to make football what it is today.
“From grassroots initiatives to global sponsors, broadcasters, agencies and clubs, these awards celebrate the people whose passion, innovation and commitment keep the game growing around the world. I’m proud to recognise their achievements.”
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