Club Forge
Charity 1181525
Overview
Summary
Club Forge appears to occupy a dual role in the West Midlands: enabling participation in health-promoting sport while strengthening the voluntary organisations that make such participation possible. Its stated remit suggests it is not solely a direct sports provider; it may function as a support and connection point for local groups. The inclusion of disability and community development indicates that physical activity may be treated as a route into wider inclusion and civic capacity, although the available evidence does not show how this is delivered in practice.
Operational geography
Coverage: Citywide
Operational areas:
Evidence and reasoning
Supporting evidence
Remaining uncertainties
- The Charity Commission currently records Club Forge as operating in Birmingham City, which supports a Birmingham-wide operational remit, but does not identify the neighbourhoods, wards, projects or venues in which services are presently delivered.
- The listed contact address is shared with another organisation and Club Forge reports that it does not own or lease land or property. It should therefore be treated as a correspondence or administrative address rather than evidence of an operational site.
- Historical evidence associates the organisation, then operating as United Community Activity Network (UCAN), with health, wellbeing, cultural and food-distribution activity in West Birmingham and at Holford Drive Community Sports Hub in Perry Barr. However, the available material does not establish that these activities or partnerships remain active as of August 2026.
- The latest reported financial year ended 30 June 2025 recorded no income, increasing uncertainty about the scale and continuity of current delivery.
Additional evidence needed
- A current programme, service timetable or project report identifying active delivery locations in Birmingham.
- The 2025 trustees' annual report or other current narrative account describing services delivered, venues used and partnership activity.
- Confirmation from Club Forge of whether it currently delivers through named partner venues, including Holford Drive Community Sports Hub or other sites.
- A functioning official website or current official social-media/project pages setting out active services and locations.
Areas of work
- Disability
- Economic/community Development/employment
Who they help
- Children/young People
- The General Public/mankind
How they help
- Provides Advocacy/advice/information
- Provides Services
Discoveries involving this organisation
The Atlas has not published any Discoveries involving this organisation yet.
Observations
A dual delivery and infrastructure role
The evidence suggests Club Forge may combine direct provision of sport or physical-activity opportunities with capacity-building for other voluntary organisations. This positions it as both a participant-facing organisation and a potential enabler of a wider local sports and recreation ecosystem.
Why it matters
This distinction affects how its reach should be understood: its influence may extend beyond the people using its own services if training, advice and support strengthen other groups.
Show evidence
“Its objects include providing facilities or services for sports and physical activities that promote health.”
Source:Charity Commission“Its objects include providing training, advice, information and support to the voluntary sector.”
Source:Charity Commission
Partnership is part of the intended model, not an incidental feature
Club Forge appears designed to facilitate cooperation among charities and voluntary organisations concerned with sport and healthy recreation, rather than operating as an entirely self-contained provider.
Why it matters
This makes its relationships especially important to investigate. Its value may lie partly in connecting organisations with complementary facilities, expertise or access to communities.
Show evidence
“Its objects include facilitating partnership and co-operation in the voluntary sector.”
Source:Charity Commission“The voluntary sector is defined to include charities and voluntary organisations.”
Source:Charity Commission
Physical activity may be framed as an inclusion and community-development tool
The combination of healthy recreation with disability and economic/community development classifications may indicate that Club Forge sees sport as contributing to inclusion and stronger communities, not only fitness.
Why it matters
This could reveal opportunities for collaboration with disability, youth and community-development organisations that do not primarily identify as sports providers.
Show evidence
“The charity helps children and young people and the general public.”
Source:Charity Commission“The charity's listed areas of work include disability and economic/community development/employment.”
Source:Charity Commission
- Whether Club Forge directly runs activities, mainly supports other organisations, or uses both approaches.
- Which communities, localities and voluntary-sector organisations it currently reaches.
- How disability and community-development work is reflected in actual services or partnerships.
Remaining uncertainties
- Recent activity reports or service descriptions showing programmes, delivery locations and participant groups.
- Information on partner organisations, referral routes, training recipients and collaboration outcomes.
- Evidence of accessibility arrangements and outcomes for disabled people, children and young people.
Additional evidence needed
Charity Commission profile
Activities
1) The promotion of community participation in healthy recreation for the benefit of the public in the West Midland region (the area of benefit) by the provision of facilities or services for participating in sports and physical activities that are capable of promoting health 2) To promote the voluntary sector by the provision of training, advice, information and support
Charity objects
1) THE PROMOTION OF COMMUNITY PARTICIPATION IN HEALTHY RECREATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN THE WEST MIDLAND REGION (THE AREA OF BENEFIT) BY THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES OR SERVICES FOR PARTICIPATING IN SPORTS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES THAT ARE CAPABLE OF PROMOTING HEALTH; 2) TO PROMOTE THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR CONCERNED WITH SPORTS AND HEALTHY RECREATION FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC IN THE AREA OF BENEFIT BY: A. THE PROVISION OF TRAINING, ADVICE, INFORMATION AND SUPPORT; AND B. FACILITATING PARTNERSHIP AND CO-OPERATION IN THE VOLUNTARY SECTOR. "VOLUNTARY SECTOR" IS DEFINED AS "CHARITIES AND VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS". CHARITIES ARE ORGANISATIONS, WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED FOR EXCLUSIVELY CHARITABLE PURPOSES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAW OF ENGLAND AND WALES. VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS ARE INDEPENDENT ORGANISATIONS WHICH ARE ESTABLISHED FOR PURPOSES THAT ADD VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, OR A SIGNIFICANT SECTION OF THE COMMUNITY, AND WHICH ARE NOT PERMITTED BY THEIR CONSTITUTION TO MAKE A PROFIT FOR PRIVATE DISTRIBUTION. VOLUNTARY ORGANISATIONS DO NOT INCLUDE LOCAL GOVERNMENT OR OTHER STATUTORY ORGANISATIONS.