We’re a charity that trains, supports and helps facilitate the activities of chaplains within sport and the fitness community. We work in close partnership with many clubs and sporting National Governing Bodies (SNGB) such as the Premier League, EFL, PFA and Rugby League and many many more. We currently have helped support and facilitate over 850 chaplaincy roles across the community of sport and fitness. We also partner and work with other organisations such as Sporting Chance to ensure that individuals have access to the best specialist care in regard to bereavement, depression, mental health and addictions.

Our National/Sport Pastoral Directors help and support chaplains, clubs, and SNGB’s, meeting with them on a regular basis to share good working practice.

Sports Chaplaincy UK has a ‘Code of Practice’ which has been agreed with the major SNGB’s. This Code of Practice helps frame the role of a chaplain and gives a helpful framework that gives clubs and gyms the confidence to engage a sports chaplain.

For more information, please see our material ‘Introduction to Sports Chaplaincy’.

What a chaplain can offer

• We offer pastoral and spiritual support to everyone, people of faith and people of no faith. This generally involves visiting the club’s offices, training facilities or gym on a weekly basis and being available to listen and bring support to all staff – from the CEO to the groundsman, the kitman to the doctor, the players to the coach and everyone else in between.
• This regular presence/ contact is a very important aspect of our role, by being visible and available we are able to build relationships. When times of crisis arise, chaplains are a trusted port of call and are an important part of staff and player welfare.
• Each chaplain will bring with them a vast range of skills, knowledge and individual expertise. From a general perspective our chaplains are extremely supportive and bring a non-judgmental, listening ear and an empathetic and compassionate presence. With wisdom and learning from their particular faith walk they bring the gifts of encouragement, support and comfort in the challenging arena of sport and fitness. On the playing side this may mean supporting a player with a long-term injury or helping a young player cope with the disappointment of being released by the club. For all staff and gym members it will include listening to and caring for a someone who has recently been bereaved, supporting individuals through a redundancy process or possibly scattering the ashes of a fan at the stadium.

Endorsement by Craig Brown

Endorsement by EFL Shaun Harvey

Endorsement by Anne Wafula