Empowering grassroots sports with Bolser’s award-nominated PitchPower app

We believe that technology has the power to help organisations punch above their weight to drive positive change in communities. Nowhere is that more evident than in our work with the Football Foundation on the PitchPower app – a great example of technology for good. We’re proud to be finalists for the prestigious UK Business Tech Awards for our role in creating a digital app that transforms the landscape of grassroots sport in the UK.

About Bolser and the Football Foundation partnership

Bolser is a digital marketing agency based in Leeds that specialises in innovative, user-centric, website and app solutions. We’re helping organisations solve real-world problems with technology. One of the most exciting projects we’ve undertaken recently is the development of the PitchPower app for the Football Foundation, the UK’s largest sports charity. The challenge was clear; thousands of amateur football matches are cancelled every year due to unplayable pitches, causing a knock-on effect on community cohesion, public health, and local economies.

Recognising the critical need for a solution, the Football Foundation partnered with Bolser to build an app that revolutionises the way grassroots pitch inspections were conducted. We wanted to empower volunteers to take control of the inspection process themselves to skill up and access the right kind of funding, faster. The goal was to ensure that all community sports clubs, regardless of size or location, had access to better-quality pitches and more opportunities to participate in sport.

The PitchPower app a game-changer for grassroots sports

PitchPower is a free web application that enables volunteers to perform pitch inspections, submit data for assessment, and receive expert feedback and tailored grass pitch improvement plans. Previously, pitch inspections were time-consuming, unstructured, and required specialist knowledge. The old process often used outdated, manual processes like clipboards and pens that needed to be digitised or involved completing non-collaborative Excel spreadsheets that were sent over email. PitchPower has made the process faster, accessible, and more cost efficient.

What sets PitchPower apart is its ability to empower volunteers, who are often local groundskeepers with limited technical experience. The app is designed with an intuitive user interface and includes features like in-app training, a guided onboarding process, and customised user journeys to ensure ease of use for all abilities and demographics.

Innovation at the heart of the PitchPower app

One of the most innovative aspects of PitchPower are the technical integrations with the latest Google Maps API for precise pitch mapping and the development of a custom content management system (CMS) that allows for dynamic content updates. These technologies ensure that the app remains scalable and adaptable, futureproofing it for the inclusion of other sports such as Cricket, Rugby Union, and Rugby League.

PitchPower includes a role-based permission system, which simplifies the complex data management needed for multi-club organisations. This ensures that different users can easily access the information they need without becoming overwhelmed by the app’s functionality.

The impact of PitchPower on communities and beyond

The true value of PitchPower lies in its social and environmental impact. By making it easier for clubs to maintain better-quality pitches, the app is helping to develop stronger community engagement and promote physical more activity. It has helped significantly reduced match cancellations due to waterlogged or unsafe pitches, providing more opportunities for people to stay active and connected.

On the environmental front, the app’s recommendations for ongoing pitch maintenance are helping to ensure the sustainability of these vital community spaces. By promoting better maintenance practices, PitchPower is contributing to the long-term health and usability of grass pitches across the UK and creating better playing surfaces.

The results have been phenomenal. Since its launch, PitchPower has facilitated over three times the number of pitch inspections annually compared to traditional methods. More than 6,000 clubs are now registered on the platform, and over 8,000 pitches have been rated as ‘good’. PitchPower has played a key role in the distribution of £47 million in grants, ensuring that clubs have the resources they need to improve pitch quality and reduce match cancellations due to unplayable conditions.

A word from the team at Bolser

Entering the UK Business Tech Awards has been a proud moment for us at Bolser. We’re passionate about the work we do, and being recognised for our role in creating technology that drives positive social impact is incredibly rewarding.

“PitchPower is a project that means so much to our team. It’s not simply an app, it’s a Digital tool that’s helping the Football Foundation and their partners to make a real difference to grassroots sports. Helping clubs across the country improve their facilities and giving more people the opportunity to play. Being shortlisted in the UK Business Tech Awards has allowed us to reflect on what we’ve achieved and to celebrate the success of the app in partnership with the Football Foundation.” – Ashley Bolser, Managing Director of Bolser

Being nominated for this award is a testament to the hard work, innovation, and dedication of our team. It’s an opportunity for us to showcase how technology can be harnessed to address real-world problems, and it reinforces our commitment to delivering solutions that have a meaningful impact. We believe that the UK Business Tech Awards provide an important platform for celebrating the best in digital innovation, and we’re thrilled to be a part of it. Winning this award would not only validate the work we’ve done with PitchPower but also inspire us to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with technology.

See our project video here.