Futsal In England Enters A New Era With C.I.C Launch
ENGLAND FUTSAL GROUP
PRESS RELEASE
England Futsal Ltd. has launched a new Community Interest Company (CIC) — a not-for-profit organisation designed to safeguard the future of the sport and ensure it continues to grow for the benefit of players, coaches, referees, volunteers, and communities across England. This new entity (England Futsal Community C.I.C., a social enterprise limited by guarantee, with an asset lock to a Charitable Foundation) will form part of the England Futsal Group operated by England Futsal Ltd, who will remain custodians of the contract & license from the FA until the end of the initial 5-year term.
A CIC is a special type of company which is purpose-led, has to report against its social purpose annually, and that exists solely to serve the community. For the England Futsal Group, this means that all activities and any surplus generated can be reinvested into developing the game, removing barriers to participation, and creating opportunities for people of all ages and backgrounds to enjoy futsal. Having the C.I.C. nested as part of a broader Group allows us to safeguard public funding from the Football Association (and hopefully in the future other public monies) whilst remaining agile to maximise any commercial opportunities to fund the growth of the Game, deliver Camps and innovative projects, and operate National teams.
What this means for the community
The new C.I.C. is committed to ensuring futsal is accessible and inclusive for everyone — with a particular focus on (these are a direct extract from the governing documents approved by Companies House in October 2025):
Children and young people, especially in schools and education settings, where futsal supports confidence, attainment, and wellbeing.
Women and girls, ethnically diverse communities, and people from low-income backgrounds, who often face the greatest barriers to taking part in sport.
Volunteers, coaches, referees, and clubs, who will be supported with training, mentoring, and tools to reduce admin burdens and strengthen local delivery.
Football players who want to use futsal to sharpen their technical skills in a safe and exciting environment.
Benefits will include improved physical and mental health, personal growth through skills such as teamwork and leadership, and stronger community connections through inclusive, local activity. All surpluses will be used to subsidise programmes for those hardest to reach, ensuring no one is left behind.
Who’s leading the C.I.C.
The new CIC will be initially chaired by Stephen Mitchell, who brings a wealth of experience in sports governance and leading community-focused organisations. Mitch currently oversees a portfolio of businesses operating across sport and physical activity, including his consultancy business Sporting People Ltd,. He also co-founded Sport for Confidence CIC, a multi-award-winning organisation which supports people who face barriers to participation. He is a recognised thought leader across workforce development in the Sport and Physical Activity sector, and brings significant purposeful experiences from Chairing or leading other regulated organisations including the Omnia Foundation and Transcend Awards, and is also a Trustee of two charitable foundations.
Other company Directors who have been appointed at company start up are Sion Kitson and Beth Jenkinson-Garner. The ambition is for up to 8 Company Directors to be appointed in this first 12 months, including representation from the Community (up to 3), but also up to three Independent Directors who have ambitions and skills to be part of a modern and ambitious Sports NgB, and one which will be built using the framework from the Code of Sports Governance from inception.
Day-to-day leadership will be provided by Sion Kitson, who continues as Head of Development and Technical. Sion has been involved in futsal since 2004 as both a player and coach, representing Wales internationally and coaching England’s youth and senior teams. Alongside professional roles with The FA, Sport England, and England Hockey, Sion has dedicated his career to using sport to unlock potential in young people and to grow futsal opportunities across the country.
In their own words
Stephen Mitchell, Chair of England Futsal Community C.I.C., said:
“Launching this CIC is an important step forward for futsal in England. It gives us the structure and safeguards we need to ensure the sport is run to the highest standards of good governance, with the community’s voice at the heart of decision-making. We want players, coaches, referees, clubs, and volunteers to know that futsal’s future will be shaped with them, for them.”
Sion Kitson, Ex Officio Exec Director of England Futsal Community C.I.C., added:
“This is about creating real, practical opportunities on the ground. Whether it’s more schools offering futsal, more clubs being supported, or more young people able to dream of representing England — the CIC gives us the platform to make it happen. I’m excited to work with the community to turn this vision into reality.”
Get involved
As part of its new structure, the CIC will appoint Community Directors from across the futsal landscape to ensure all voices are represented at board level. These directors will be recruited through England Futsal’s existing governance commissions and combine their expertise with Independent Directors recruited for their specific skills to support the business to drive forward (e.g. legal, financial, digital…). This means that in order to apply for a Community Director role applicants will first need to be approved commission members.
The Football Association have also asked the England Futsal Group to lead and administer the recruitment process for the FA Council ‘futsal’ seat which will also open at the same time, run concurrently, close in the Spring, and be ratified by the National Game Board for appointment to Council in the 2026/7 season.
Whilst the window for applying to be part of the existing England Futsal commissions for this next cycle has passed, in order to ensure an open process we will be re-opening the window for a short time to allow those who may be newly excited, curious & motivated about our journey to step forward.
To find out more information regarding our Commissions as well as the place to apply please visit the following LINK. Applications are open today, Monday 3rd November 2025, and will close at 5pm on Monday 10th November.
Commissions Application Supporting documentation:
