Based at the Evans Bevan Playing Fields in Baglan, Port Talbot, Baglan Boys & Girls Club is a volunteer-run community charity that looks after the sports facilities on site. The space is shared by a number of local clubs covering football, netball, cricket and rounders, and the club makes a point of welcoming everyone. The facilities can also be hired.

Community sports venues like this tend to be a good starting point for anyone wanting to try a team sport locally, whether that means joining a club, bringing the family along, or finding a space for a group activity. They are often run by people who live nearby and care about keeping sport accessible.

Volunteer-run charity

Several sports on site

Facilities for hire

Evans Bevan Playing Fields

Open to everyone

Volunteer-run community sports charity at Evans Bevan Playing Fields, Baglan, Port Talbot, home to football, netball, cricket and rounders clubs.

Baglan Boys & Girls Club

In Cambridge, in the Waterloo Region, Dynamo Gymnastics Inc. is a gymnastics club focused on helping children build strong physical and mental foundations. Its recreational programme covers general and advanced gymnastics, tumbling and ninja classes, alongside clinics and private lessons. For those ready to compete, there are women's artistic gymnastics and tumbling teams, with tryouts held for places. The club also runs birthday parties and holiday camps, and says integrity is the core value behind everything it does.

Gymnastics is a great all-round activity for young people, generally developing strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. Many children also gain confidence and focus as they learn new skills step by step.

Recreational classes

Competitive teams

Holiday camps

Birthday parties

Private lessons and clinics

Extra on-site services

Gymnastics club in Cambridge, Waterloo Region, offering recreational, ninja and tumbling classes, competitive teams, camps and parties for kids.

Dynamo Gymnastics Inc.

Set in Roker, just a short distance from central Sunderland, Fitness 2000 is a friendly local gym that describes itself as a true community space. Inside you will find equipped boxing and MMA facilities alongside a weights section fitted with Panatta Sport Italy equipment, a free weights area with a range of plates and sizes, and space for functional classes.

Gyms like this suit a wide mix of members, from those focused on strength and free weights to anyone interested in combat sports or group workouts. With plenty of stations available, it is aimed at people wanting variety in how they train.

Combat sports facilities

Weights section

Functional classes

Community gym

Roker location

Clean equipment

Fitness 2000 is a friendly community gym in Roker, Sunderland, with boxing, MMA, weights and functional classes.

Fitness 2000

Based near the town centre in Halesowen, West Midlands, Martial Art Concepts is a martial arts academy offering a broad mix of disciplines for both adults and children. Its adult programme spans Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, MMA, Jeet Kune Do, Kali, Muay Thai, wrestling, boxing, karate and self defence, while younger students are catered for through Kung Fu Cubs and Junior Arts classes.

A martial arts club like this is a good place to build fitness, learn practical skills and gain confidence, whether you are completely new or already have some experience. Bookings can be made online, and the academy is part of a wider group with further locations in Stourbridge and Dudley.

Wide range of disciplines

Kids classes

Self defence training

Multiple locations

Book online

Martial Art Concepts is a martial arts academy in Halesowen offering BJJ, MMA, Muay Thai and kids classes.

Martial Art Concepts

Slateford Bowling Club

Sutton Coldfield Squash Club

Tucked away in Nottingham, Games Haven is a board-games venue for anyone who enjoys gathering round a table for a few hours of play. Whether you're a seasoned strategist or just looking to try something new, it's a place built around the simple pleasure of a good game.

Board-game spaces like this are ideal for meeting friends, discovering titles you might not own, and settling in for a relaxed session. Expect a sociable atmosphere where groups of all sizes can find something to enjoy, from quick party games to longer strategy sessions.

Games Haven is a board-games venue in Nottingham, offering a sociable spot for tabletop gaming with friends.

Games Haven

Founded in 1938, Pilkington Football Club is a community football club in Saint Helens, Merseyside. Its men's side plays in the North West Counties Premier Division, Step 5 of the National League System, and the club also fields women's, Under 23s, youth, junior and veterans teams. The women's section began in 2017 with five players and has since grown to three teams plus seven girls' teams, with more than 100 women and girls playing each week.

A club with teams across so many age groups can suit players at different stages, from juniors taking their first steps in the game to veterans keen to keep playing. Football clubs like this are generally a good way to stay active, compete regularly and become part of a local community.

Founded in 1938

Step 5 men's football

Growing women's section

Girls' teams

Teams for all ages

Walking-friendly 5-a-side

Pilkington FC is a Saint Helens football club founded in 1938, with men's, women's, youth, junior and veterans teams.

Pilkington Football Club

Simply Limitless Wellbeing Hub

OneGym

Solent Sports Complex

Aspirations Health And Fitness

Ballymena Dance Academy

Kosho Ryu Kempo Ju-Jitsu is the focus at Bushido Ryu Martial Arts, a martial arts club in Hull, Kingston upon Hull. Classes are aimed at adults aged 18 and over and centre on practical self-defence, with an emphasis on technique rather than strength. Sessions run twice a week, lessons are pay-as-you-go with no monthly contracts, and newcomers can book a free first lesson.

Ju-Jitsu is generally a good fit for anyone wanting realistic self-defence skills alongside improved fitness and confidence. Most martial arts classes welcome complete beginners as well as those returning to training, with techniques taught step by step.

Free first lesson

Kempo Ju-Jitsu

Adult classes

Twice weekly sessions

No contracts

Established club

Kosho Ryu Kempo Ju-Jitsu self-defence classes for adults in Hull, with pay-as-you-go lessons, no contracts and a free first lesson.

Bushido Ryu Martial Arts

Chester Judo Club

CrossFit Ben Nevis

Detail Dance Company

Diamond Kickboxing Academy

Goddess gym

This martial arts academy in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, offers classes for children and adults, with programmes covering karate, kickboxing, fitness and self defence. Alongside its kids martial arts classes, it runs martial arts camps, Hyper Training sessions, a Hyper Fight Club and a bully awareness programme. The academy also has a sister location in Ramsey, and newcomers can start with a free 14-day trial.

Martial arts training generally suits people looking to build fitness, confidence and discipline in a structured setting. Classes like these tend to welcome complete beginners, and family-focused academies often give parents and children the chance to train at the same place, making it easier to fit regular sessions into a busy week.

Free 14-day trial

Kids martial arts

Karate and kickboxing

Martial arts camps

Bully awareness programme

Second academy in Ramsey

Martial arts academy in Huntingdon offering karate, kickboxing, kids classes, camps and self defence, with a free 14-day trial.

Hyper Xcellencentre Academy Huntingdon

Based in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, Links Karate is a martial arts club led by a chief instructor who also serves as an association head coach and regional head coach. A team of senior instructors and instructors supports the teaching, and the club offers several training programmes alongside a sport karate section, club events and a grading syllabus.

Newcomers can book a first class by getting in touch, and the club provides beginner information and a starter pack. Karate in general is a structured way to build fitness, coordination and confidence, with coloured belt gradings giving students of all ages clear goals to work towards as they progress.

Experienced coaching team

Sport karate

Beginner friendly

Grading syllabus

Popular with families

Club events

Links Karate is a martial arts club in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, offering karate training programmes, sport karate and beginner classes.

Links Karate

Cheerleading and dance are the focus at London Dance and Cheer Academy, a gymnastics-style club based in London. Coached sessions run for children from Reception right through to Year 13, alongside adult groups for over-18s. The academy also offers tumbling, one-to-one coaching, camps and birthday parties, and it runs its own school cheerleading league and dance league.

Clubs like this generally suit anyone who enjoys movement, music and working as part of a team. Cheer and dance training typically builds coordination, flexibility and body control, while group routines encourage confidence and cooperation. Newcomers can usually expect a structured warm-up, skills work and time spent learning choreography together.

Cheer and dance classes

All ages catered for

School cheer league

One-to-one coaching

Camps and parties

All abilities welcome

Cheerleading, dance and tumbling in London for children from Reception to Year 13 and adults, with camps, parties and school leagues.

Clubs