Stone Old Alleynians says the people behind the scenes are a huge part of what the club has become, with volunteers, veterans and disability football placed front and centre in a new social impact report.
The report says the club generates £2.6 million in annual social value through football, volunteering and community activity, using FA social impact modelling completed with Staffordshire FA. It also says the club supports 611 youth players, 108 adult players, 276 volunteers and paid staff, and 7,654 community programme participants.
But beyond the headline figure, much of the report is really about the people keeping things going across Stone week after week.
The work that often goes unseen
Stone Old Alleynians says its 273 volunteers create £1.8 million in value, made up of £974,000 in salary equivalent value and £806,000 in wellbeing value. The report also points to 65,000 hours of positive social interaction linked to volunteering at the club.
Club chairperson Richard Jones said the report reflected the work of those giving up their time across the organisation.
“This report is the outcome of hundreds of volunteers giving countless hours of their time, all coming together for the shared benefit of the community,” he said.
“We encourage everyone to read it, the impact is staggering, and everyone involved should be incredibly proud.”
The report itself puts names and stories to that work.
It highlights volunteers including Rob and Rebecca Crawley, Steve and Emma Alder, and Adam and Sarah Johnson, describing the number of roles they take on across youth football, girls’ football, events, safeguarding, communications, fixtures and maintenance. In one case, the report notes jobs ranging from reroofing work to dealing with a burst pipe, alongside coaching and team administration.
More than matchdays
The club’s community work goes wider than training and fixtures.
The report lists activities including mental health football sessions, coffee mornings, SEND support sessions, holiday camps, school tournaments, walking football, walking cricket, pickleball, monthly walks, referee courses and after school clubs. It says 7,654 people engage with those programmes.
That broader local role is also reflected in the club’s veterans section, which Jones described as one of the most overlooked parts of the organisation in material sent alongside the report.
He said,
“Our real strength, and sometimes the most overlooked part of the club, is our veterans and disability sections.
“Our veterans are involved in activities every single day and regularly reach out to support others who may be less fortunate.”
Disability football a growing part of the club
Disability football is another area the report leans on heavily.
It says the club’s provision now includes Comets, SEND, pan disability, wheelchair and frame football, and credits that development in large part to volunteer input. The report also sets out plans to find a suitable location for further disability provision, including wheelchair and frame football sessions.
Jones said the disability section was continuing to grow, with ten teams currently operating across a wide range of disabilities.
Looking ahead, the report says the club wants to develop a new Step 4 facility with a 3G pitch, stadium and clubhouse, alongside work on coach development, refereeing and stronger pathways from youth football into the adult game.
For many in Stone, though, the report’s clearest message is probably the simplest one. However big the numbers are, a lot of the club still depends on people turning up, helping out and making space for others.
