Grassroots football club on mission to become most purpose-led in Britain
Newark & Sherwood United FC announces its intentions to become the UK’s first purpose-driven football club dedicated to mission-led organisations and using football as a force for good rather than relying on funding from industries deemed unethical.
Currently competing in the United Counties League, Premier Division North, the Nottinghamshire club is owned and operated by the B Corp-certified Gusto Group and supported by fellow B Corps, including iconic plant-based food producer BOSH! and leading law firm Shakespeare Martineau.
As a collective, they are pioneering a new model for grassroots football that places sustainability, community, and ethical business at its core.
Newark and Sherwood United FC is already a pioneer in setting a new standard for sustainability and social impact in grassroots football. In addition to plans to build a stadium using repurposed shipping containers ( see BBC), the club has rolled out several sustainable initiatives, including:
● Recycled shirts: The 2025/26 football kit has been manufactured by a local supplier using recycled material.
● Plant-based: Serving plant-based food to players and supporters on matchdays.
● Plastic-free: The club introduced the UK’s first auto-refund technology by Recirculate Systems, on all cups returned for reuse that eliminates single-use plastic from its ground.
Jed Wright, Operations Director at Newark and Sherwood United, said:
“By aligning closely with other values and mission-led B Corp businesses, Newark and Sherwood United are developing and expanding a community that champions both sustainability and innovation. Our ambition is to create a blueprint for how football clubs can operate no matter their size.
“We passionately believe that football holds a huge amount of power to unite communities, champion positive values, and become a platform for meaningful change.
“Therefore, we feel that our approach will not only encourage like-minded businesses to help us realise our vision, but we also believe it has the potential to influence and inspire such change across the entire football landscape.
“In the 2024/25 season, 65% of Premier League shirt sponsors were gambling or airline companies and 23% of all professional clubs were supported by organisations operating in industries considered unethical. Football is uniquely unifying and having the support of fellow changemakers, we can become catalysts for positive societal and environmental change.”
B Corp organisations can become members or sponsors by visiting: https://supportedbybcorps.co.uk/