Santos AFC: Case study

By GM Moving | 06 June 2025 | TAGS: Clubs, football, Stories, Volunteers

About Santos AFC
Santos AFC was started by a group of friends, who wanted to set up a team. The group raised money and by 2009 had formed a team and joined Rochdale’s online league. Santos has grown significantly and now has 20 teams, including an adult team, junior teams and girls’ teams. They’ve recently created an under-23s team and are looking to set up an over 30s group. The club doesn’t have a physical base, but uses venues across Oldham and Rochdale.

Connecting with Action Together
The club found out about Action Together, through a networking event. Action Together work in Tameside, Oldham and Rochdale to connect people with what’s happening in their community, develop community ideas into action, strengthen local organisations, and provide strategic influence for the charity and voluntary sector. The relationship has enabled Santos AFC to develop the structures and systems needed, in order to grow the club in a sustainable way.

“We wanted to set a quality mark for the club and wanted that quality to be consistent across the teams. We realised we needed a strong organisational structure in order to make that happen. Action Together have opened my eyes to looking at the club as a business and with a business head on. We’ve got a chair, club secretary, defined roles underneath that; head of football, club welfare officer, commercial manager, sponsorship co-ordinator. All are voluntary roles – we involve around 60 volunteers.”

How the support made a difference

Strategic Planning
Conversations with Action Together’s volunteer development team created valuable space for the club to think strategically about the future. Going through an organisational health check helped them identify what the priorities are in particular areas and what you need to do. The club have recently created a five-year strategy, that reflects their vision and values and key priorities. One of those is to get their own ground with a vision that it will be both a place to play football and also a place to be a community.

“They’ve always been a go to – if I’ve got a question, I know that I can throw it over to them. You’ve got a family, you’re working, you’re doing tasks for the club that you know you need to do, and you don’t always get to think strategically about the club. Having those meetings for me was the most valuable.”

Volunteer Development Support
The club has taken steps to ensure that volunteers feel welcomed and valued; for example creating a volunteer handbook and a proper volunteer induction. They’ve also been able to advertise their volunteer roles through Action Together’s Volunteering Directory.

Funding, training and networking
Action Together has supported the club with writing funding bids and raising awareness about funding that is available. The club also accessed funding from Action Together’s Volunteering Fund; helping them recognise volunteers through awards events, certificates and branded water bottles and thank you cards.

They’ve attended valuable training and networking events, offered by Action Together to VCSE groups and organisations.

Accessing support from your local voluntary sector infrastructure organisation

“It’s worth that conversation with someone independent – even if you think you’re doing everything perfectly, you might get that one nugget of information, they might have ideas and support that can help you. We have a whole structure now. There are clubs out there that don’t have proper structure and roles and responsibilities. There’s a big risk there. There’s a lot of pressure there.”

To find your local voluntary sector infrastructure organisation, check out the NAVCA website:

NAVCA | Find your local NAVCA member

Thanks to Ian Dunkerley, Chairman and Coach, Santos AFC for sharing their experience.