Raise Funds Simply with Spond Superdraw
For many grassroots clubs, fundraising isn’t about ambition — it’s about capacity. Coaches and volunteers already juggle training sessions, fixtures, safeguarding, and communication with parents. Adding another traditional fundraiser on top can feel like one job too many.
That was the challenge facing Gloucester City FC when the club wanted to upgrade its goals and training equipment, particularly to support 9v9 matches for its growing youth section. The solution came not from adding more admin, but from simplifying it.
By running a Spond Superdraw fundraiser directly inside Spond, Gloucester City FC raised £2,600, engaged parents across multiple teams, and delivered visible improvements that players and families could see and feel.
A Growing Club With a Need for Consistency
Gloucester City FC now supports eight girls’ teams and seven boys’ teams, with around 220 players and hundreds of parents and guardians involved week to week. The girls’ section itself is relatively new, having launched in 2023/24, and growth has been rapid.
Before adopting Spond in 2025, the youth section faced a familiar issue: different teams doing things in different ways. Communication was fragmented, processes varied, and it was hard for section leads to maintain consistency across age groups.
“We had every team doing their own thing,” explains Scott English, Girls Lead at Gloucester City FC. “What we needed was more consistency across the youth section, especially around communication. Spond was recommended to us, and it immediately made that side of things easier.”
Once Spond was embedded across the club, fundraising became a natural next step.
Why Spond Superdraw Made Sense
The motivation behind the fundraiser was clear and practical. The club wanted to invest in new goals and improved training equipment, including proper 9v9 goals that would directly benefit matchdays and player development.
Scott first discovered Spond Superdraw inside the app itself. What stood out was not just the potential to raise funds, but the way the fundraiser fitted into existing club workflows.
“It was really easy,” Scott says. “We set it up in the app, shared it with parents and fundraisers, and promoted it through social media. There was no extra admin, which makes a huge difference.”
Rather than relying on a small number of volunteers to do all the work, the fundraiser encouraged wider participation. Around half of all parents sold entries, with many contributing a few tickets each. That collective effort quickly added up.
Engagement That Felt Shared, Not Forced
One of the standout outcomes of the fundraiser was how it changed the dynamic between the club and parents. Instead of fundraising feeling like a top-down request for money, it became something families felt involved in.
“Parents and guardians took ownership,” Scott explains. “They could see why we needed better facilities, and then see the end result afterwards. That made it feel worthwhile for everyone.”
Supporters responded positively to the experience. Parents appreciated having their own personal landing page to share, found the process straightforward, and valued the visibility the platform provided. For many, it exceeded expectations.
“The feedback was mainly positive,” says Scott. “People liked how easy it was for both kids and parents, and the parental visibility was really good. It worked better than we expected.”
More Than Just the Money
While the £2,600 raised was a significant outcome, the benefits went beyond the final figure. Running the fundraiser through Spond Superdraw removed many of the usual barriers associated with grassroots fundraising.
Convenience was key. Everything ran in one place, from setup to promotion, without spreadsheets, cash handling, or manual tracking. Motivation also played a role, with the competitive element and meaningful prizes helping to drive engagement in a way the club couldn’t have offered on its own.
“It was simpler than anything we’d used before,” Scott says. “Easy to run, easy to promote, and much less time-consuming.”
Most importantly, the funds translated directly into improved facilities for young players — something families could see on the pitch, not just in a balance sheet.
Looking Ahead
For Gloucester City FC, the experience has reshaped how the club thinks about fundraising. Instead of something that drains time and goodwill, it became a shared project with a clear outcome and minimal stress.
When asked whether the club would use Spond Superdraw again, Scott is clear.
“We’d definitely do it again.”
For grassroots clubs looking to raise funds without adding to volunteer burnout, Gloucester City FC’s experience shows what’s possible when fundraising is built into the tools clubs already use — and when parents are empowered to be part of the journey, not just asked to support it.
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