About this Event
Calling all Grassroots Sports Clubs and Groups in Greater Manchester!
Join us for Sports Club Conference 2026 – a day to connect, learn and be inspired with others who help keep grassroots sport alive and thriving.
We know how hard you work behind the scenes to run your club – whether you’re a coach, on the committee, or helping with anything in between. This event is for you.
Event Details:
Date: Saturday 25 July 2026
Time: 10:00am – 4:00pm
Venue: Manchester Metropolitan University, Institute of Sport Building, 99 Oxford Road, Manchester, M1 7EL
Cost: £5 per person
Who can attend: Anyone involved in running a grassroots sports club in Greater Manchester.
Maximum two people per club. This is to give as many clubs as possible the chance to join.
What to expect:
We asked clubs across Greater Manchester what they'd like to see at the conference – and we’ve shaped the day around that feedback.
Check out our 2025 conference:
Agenda:
- 10:00 – 10:30am: Arrival, refreshments & networking
- 10:30 – 11:30am: Welcome and Keynote Speakers-Abigail Irozuru (Team GB Olympian and GMM Board Member) and Kelly Gordon (Director of KGsport and Executive Lead for NETBALLHer)
- 11:30 – 12:30pm: Themed Discussion Tables:
- Safeguarding & Welfare
- Community Engagement & Creating Inclusive Environments
- Volunteer Experience
- Women and Girls
- Marketing & Social Media
- 12:30 – 1:15pm: Lunch and networking
- 1:15 – 2:00pm: Club Panel: Creating Safe, Inclusive, and Sustainable Clubs.
- 2:00 – 3:30pm: Workshops 1 (Buddle: Future Planning & Sustainability) & 2 (Women and Girls in Sport Workshop - Kelly Gordon) (choose your topic when you book)
- 3:30 – 4:00pm: What’s next and closing session
Workshops have been planned based directly on the feedback from last year's event and those who completed the Sports Club Survey throughout May.
Workshop options include (select at time of booking)
- Workshop 1 - Buddle: Future Planning & Sustainability
- Workshop 2 - Women and Girls in Sport Workshop - Delivered by Kelly Gordon.
Why you should attend
- Meet and connect with other clubs doing amazing work
- Hear from inspiring speakers and leaders in sport
- Chat to partners who may be able to support your club
- Choose workshops that matter to your club
- Discover practical tools and new ideas
- Be part of a movement for safer, stronger community sport
Book your spot now
Spaces are limited. We can’t wait to see you there.
Beyond our sports club conference we will be planning further workshops and training opportunities to support clubs as well as sharing information of many of our partners.
Let’s build a stronger, safer, and more connected grassroots sport community together across Greater Manchester.
Learn more about our Keynote Speaker, Abigail Irozuru: Team GB Olympian and GMM Board Member
Abigail Irozuru is a Team GB Olympic Finalist (Tokyo 2021), Team England Commonwealth Games Finalist (Birmingham 2022), and three-time British Long Jump Champion. With over two decades representing Great Britain and England on the international stage, she now dedicates her career to inspiring and equipping individuals and teams to thrive through challenges and transitions, both in life and work. Since retiring from competition, Abigail works as Partnerships Lead at Science in Sport, following completion of an MBA at Alliance Manchester Business School, where she was elected VP Academics on the AMBS Student Council, liaising with faculty and programme leadership to shape course content and enhance the student experience. She also established the Entrepreneurship and Sports Industry Club, fostering connections between students and industry leaders, with an inaugural panel event in collaboration with the Masood Entrepreneurship Centre in May 2025.
Beyond academia, Abigail is a board member for Greater Manchester Moving, advocating for active lifestyles and community well-being, and continues to represent athletes as an elected member and Vice Chair of the Team GB and UK Athletics Athletes’ Commissions. She also works with organisations supporting athlete transitions, leveraging her experience to help individuals navigate change with resilience, confidence, and purpose.
At the heart of Abigail’s work is her passion for seeing people thrive - whether in business, sport, or personally. Drawing from her own setbacks and comebacks, she shares powerful lessons on resilience, performance, and reinvention. As one client put it, “Abigail’s manner is extremely inspirational but also very authentic. She makes the Olympian journey real to everyday goals, dreams, and ambitions.” Whether through speaking, coaching, or advocacy, she empowers people to rise, adapt, and succeed in their next big leap.
Learn more about our Keynote Speaker, Kelly Gordon: Director of KGsport and Executive Lead for NETBALLHer
Kelly Gordon is Director of KGSport, the consultancy she founded in 2013 to support organisations to grow participation and develop more inclusive, evidence-informed approaches to sport and physical activity. Her work focuses on helping organisations better understand and respond to the needs of their audiences across participation, workforce, environments and wellbeing, with a particular specialism in women and girls.
An experienced sports development and system change professional, Kelly has held senior strategic roles with organisations including Sport England, England Netball and PwC. Through KGSport, she has worked with a wide range of organisations including Sport England, Women in Sport, national governing bodies, Active Partnerships and wider sector organisations to support strategy development, insight-led approaches, workforce and participation initiatives, and organisational change.
Kelly also serves as Executive Lead for NETBALLHer, England Netball’s pioneering initiative to drive system-wide change in female health and wellbeing across sport. She currently co-chairs both the National Female Puberty Group and the Female Athlete Health NGB Collective and is a Trustee of Sale Sharks Foundation.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
MMU - Institute of Sport Building, 99 Oxford Road, Manchester, United Kingdom
GBP 5.00
