Football organisation Total Grassroots and kit manufacturer Kelme Bank have partnered with payment company GoCardless to simplify payment collection for grassroots football clubs and provide kits for their teams.

GoCardless said the partnership will ensure football clubs stop losing out on unpaid subscription and membership fees which give staff and volunteers more time for other tasks.

By using GoCardless, the company said clubs can have greater visibility and control over payments through an online platform in addition to automatic payment collection and reconciliation.

Colin Bowden, founder of Total Grassroots and commercial development officer at Leicestershire-based Hemington Hammers, said that the service had been a “game-changer” for the club as it had collected around £400 more a month in previously missed revenue.

The money saved has been redirected into helping the club grow its membership.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled to help grassroots sports thrive,” said Jolawn Victor, chief growth officer at GoCardless, “By taking the pain out of getting paid, we can empower football clubs to focus on what they do best: fostering lifelong healthy habits and changing lives through sport.”

Clubs joining the scheme to collect payments with GoCardless will receive a £300 Kelme gift card to purchase kits and other apparel from Kelme, which counts Championship side Watford and La Liga’s Espanyol among its featured clubs.

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