How to attract and retain more members for your grassroots club

"We need more members."

It's one of the most common conversations in grassroots clubs.

Perhaps you've got spaces to fill on a particular day. Maybe you've launched a new age group that's slower to grow than you hoped, or you've seen a few members move on and want to build your numbers again.

The first instinct is often to promote those spaces. A Facebook post. An email. A poster in the local community.

There's absolutely a place for all of those.

But every empty space has a story behind it.

It might belong to the child whose parents meant to book a trial and never got round to it. The family who enjoyed their first session but weren't sure what to do next. The participant who quietly drifted away because life became busier and nobody checked in.

Looking at those stories tells you far more about how your club grows than simply counting how many new enquiries arrive each month.

Help more people discover what makes your club special

For many grassroots clubs, word of mouth is still the biggest source of new members. A recommendation from another parent, a friend inviting someone along or a family sharing their experience often carries more weight than any advert could.

The role of marketing is to build on that trust. When someone hears about your club and decides to look you up, do they quickly understand who it's for? Can they see what a typical session feels like? Is it obvious how to get in touch or book a trial?

Small improvements to your visibility can make a lasting difference.

If you'd like practical ideas for raising your club's profile, Growing your club's visibility is a 15-minute ThriveHub course packed with simple, achievable ideas you can put into practice straight away.

Make it easy for people to join

Attracting enquiries is only the beginning.

An unanswered message, a trial that isn't followed up or a waiting list that never hears from the club can all mean enthusiastic families quietly look elsewhere.

The clubs that grow consistently don't necessarily receive more enquiries than everyone else. They're often just better at turning interest into membership because they've thought about the experience from a new family's perspective.

What happens after someone clicks 'Contact us'? Who follows up after a trial session? Is the next step clear?

They're small details, but together they have a big impact.

Turning interest into enrolments explores practical ways to improve that journey, helping more enquiries become active, long-term members.

Growth doesn't stop when someone joins

Keeping members is every bit as important as attracting new ones.

People stay because they enjoy the activity, but they also stay because they feel welcome, see progress and feel connected to the club. Good communication helps reinforce that. Celebrating achievements, recognising volunteers and helping new families settle in all contribute to an experience people want to return to.

Growth and retention aren't separate challenges.

The clubs that grow most consistently understand they're part of the same journey.

Building lasting family relationships, together with Understanding your community and Designing meaningful engagement, provides practical ideas for strengthening those relationships and creating experiences that encourage families to stay involved for years, not just the first one.

Sustainable growth needs a plan

Posting on social media, running an open day or printing a flyer can all help bring new people through the door.

Long-term growth comes from having simple, repeatable ways to keep those activities running without them taking over your time.

Many grassroots clubs don't struggle with ideas, they struggle with consistency. Marketing gets done in bursts, then drops off when things get busy. Communications become informational only and don’t help the club build trust and interest.

That's exactly what the Growth & Marketing Accelerator is designed to help with.

Whether you're looking to fill spaces, launch a new session or grow your club over the next few years, the Accelerator gives you practical tools, ready-to-use campaigns, seasonal resources and simple templates that make it easier to keep your marketing running alongside everything else. Combined with club management software that includes social media, SMS, email, payments and member management, plus a member app, it gives clubs the tools and confidence to grow in a sustainable way.

Ready to grow your club?

Growing your club isn't about finding one brilliant marketing idea.

It's about making it easier for people to discover you, simpler for them to join and giving them plenty of reasons to stay involved once they do.

ThriveHub brings together practical resources and short, 15-minute courses covering visibility, enrolment, communication and engagement, helping clubs make meaningful improvements without adding more to already busy volunteers.

If you're ready to build a clear plan for sustainable growth, our Growth & Marketing Focus provides practical support, expert guidance and resources tailored to your club's goals.

Not sure where to start? Visit Improve My Club, ask Q about the challenges you're facing or speak to one of our experts. We'll help you identify the biggest opportunities for growth and recommend the resources and support that are right for your club.