PD sponsorships: fund teams, not projects

At Public Digital, we believe in backing brilliant teams - on and off the pitch. Teams whose values align with ours: public purpose, inclusion and ambition. Sport is one of the most powerful ways to bring people together, building confidence, supporting mental health and strengthening community ties. That’s why we’re proud to sponsor six grassroots, community teams whose work goes far beyond sport.

One of those teams is Sporting Hackney FC, an FA charter-standard community football club founded in 1986 and dedicated to providing Saturday football for young people and adults in Hackney. Our three-year partnership helps with financial sustainability and their goal of working with Hackney Council to build a permanent community ground within the borough. In partnership with Mind, SHFC also delivers Sporting Hackney Mind, a football and mental health programme offering coaching and connection for people with serious mental health issues, a project that really resonates with us. They’re also involved in Behind Every Kick, a social development programme that uses sport to build discipline and confidence among young people, to see them succeed at school, college and work.

We’re equally proud to support Hackney Girls FC, a team that gives young women the space to grow, compete and lead in a safe, supportive environment. This is about much more than football; it’s about ensuring girls can experience all the benefits of sport - from physical health to self-esteem and belonging.

Beyond football, we’re also sponsoring the blind and vision impaired ballroom team at Step Change Studios. Step Change is an award-winning, inclusive dance company that creates movement opportunities for people of all abilities. PD’s funding helped get the team to the Blackpool Open Worlds at the famous Tower Ballroom, challenging perceptions around who gets to compete. PD colleague, Diane Parker-Wood, is a trustee and volunteer dance partner, and can now claim to be a double world champion! It’s exactly the kind of creative revolution we’re delighted to support.

Back on the pitch, we’ve just started to sponsor Katherine Wastell's son’s Chorlton Green Villa Panthers, a football team for 7-8 year olds, coached by Katherine’s husband, Phil. Their website is proudly bearing the PD logo and we received a lovely message of thanks from Lee Folkard, the club’s founder, saying how much our support is appreciated, especially by the players.

Our commitment to community investment also reaches north to East Lothian, where North Berwick Rugby Under 14s are learning the game - and learning resilience, teamwork and grit in the process. They show up week after week, with their families and coaches - one of whom is PD’s Ross Ferguson - developing not just skills but character. Backing teams like this means investing in the future, not only of sport but of community leadership and personal growth.

And finally, we’re delighted to support our colleague, Angie Kenny, and her Argentina Women’s FC, a team created by Argentinians living in London. More than a football club, it’s a welcoming and supportive space for expats to connect, stay active, and find belonging in a busy, sometimes isolating city. Angie tells us they’ve been on a winning streak since donning their PD-sponsored kit!

Supporting community teams is one way we put our values into practice beyond our consulting work. And each team shows what’s possible when you build around people - their potential, their ambitions and their wellbeing.