Spond, the groundbreaking app that helps grassroots sports clubs manage their teams, is today launching its fun and engaging ‘Spot the Ball’ digital fundraising solution in the UK, enabling groups to raise vital funds so they can continue to play a pivotal role in their local communities.

With a third of grassroots clubs in the UK struggling financially, identifying new revenue streams is critical. The digital fundraising solution offered by Spond is made up of a series of competitions, kicking off with the iconic ‘Spot the Ball’ game. Spond sets up, runs and fulfils the digital competitions on behalf of the club, taking away all administrative and regulatory headaches.

Teams have some control over the setup of each fundraising campaign. For example, the ‘Spot the Ball’ challenge can be played with football, rugby and cricket-themed images, and the club can set the start time for the competition, the fundraising target and the competition prize, which is a percentage of the total money raised – 5% to 25% – in the form of a gift card.

With the online fundraising platform, clubs are not restricted to a particular area or community to raise funds. Members – or their parents, if they’re under 18 – will receive a unique URL that can be easily shared via social media and messaging apps, driving engagement across family members, friends and supporters.

Trine Falnes, CEO at Spond, said: “The sad reality is that many grassroots clubs are surviving hand-to-mouth right now, and they require new funding sources to keep their clubs and communities alive.

“At Spond, our goal is always to try and make the lives of people running grassroots teams that little bit easier. With our new fundraising solution, we manage all aspects of the organisation, minimising administrative burdens and allowing clubs to focus on engaging with their supporters to raise vital funds through interactive and fun competitions.

“We know this approach works as we already run successful fundraisers in the Norwegian market and our recent trial in the UK raised almost £7,000 with just six groups, each running a single prize competition. It obviously helps that Spot the Ball is an old favourite in the UK, which brings back happy memories for many participants.”

Stu Wells, Director of Rugby at Oxford Harlequins RFC, who took part in the UK trial of Spot the Ball, said: “Thanks to Spond’s new fundraising solutions we were able to raise an incredible £2,765, which has gone towards new floodlights at the ground. It was a simple way to raise funds, with a fun incentive, and the players really got into it, competing to see who could sell the most entries.”

Matthew Bird, Coach at Hethersett & Tas Valley Cricket Club, who raised £1,800, commented: “We found Spot the Ball really easy to use and administer. Our membership was well informed in advance about the cause for which we were fundraising, ensuring a really positive response. Unlike previous fundraisers, there was little work on the part of the committee or coaches, and we particularly loved the fact that Spond looked after the organisation of the event, allowing us to focus on cricket.”

Find out more at www.spond.com or watch this video to see how Spot the Ball works.