The Killie Community delivers £6.3m social value impact across Ayrshire

The Killie Community delivers £6.3 million boost to Ayrshire as impact revealed

Kilmarnock Football Club is proud to share new independent findings highlighting the scale of impact being delivered across Ayrshire by our partner charity, The Killie Community.

A new Social Return on Investment (SROI) report produced by leading consultancy firm Collins McHugh sets out the difference the charity is making—supporting local communities and helping to ease pressure on frontline services.

The report shows The Killie Community generated £6.3 million of social value locally—equating to a return of £21.39 for every £1 invested—putting figures behind the vast community work that has been built over years across health, education and community safety.

Read our latest Social Return on Investment

The Killie Community is an independent charity that works in close partnership with Kilmarnock FC. Through the power of football, the charity supports people of all ages—from improving mental health and reducing loneliness, to increasing physical activity and helping young people engage positively in school and their communities. Significant impact is also being delivered through partnerships with NHS Ayrshire & Arran and Police Scotland.

Working alongside NHS Ayrshire & Arran, The Killie Community delivers Beat to Treat, a community-based cardiac service that helps identify and diagnose heart failure earlier—improving outcomes while reducing pressure on services at University Hospital Crosshouse.

By bringing vital checks and support closer to people who might otherwise go undiagnosed, the programme enables earlier intervention that can prevent more serious—and more costly—treatment further down the line.

Building on that success, plans are already in place to introduce a prostate screening initiative in August, further strengthening the charity’s work to tackle serious health inequalities affecting men across the region.

In partnership with Police Scotland, The Killie Community is also supporting efforts to tackle antisocial behaviour through its Youth Diversionary programme.

The initiative works directly with young people who may be at risk of becoming involved in offending, including those linked to ongoing concerns around antisocial behaviour at Kilmarnock Bus Station. By engaging early and providing structure, support and positive pathways, the programme helps divert individuals away from negative behaviour and reduce demand on policing.

While this work aligns closely with the priorities of East Ayrshire Council, the charity has highlighted that there are currently no service level agreements or commissioning arrangements in place to help support and sustain these programmes.

Last week, senior leaders from East Ayrshire Council, NHS Ayrshire & Arran and Police Scotland visited The Killie Community Hub at Rugby Park to see the programmes in action.

The visit offered an immersive experience, allowing attendees to hear directly from partners and participants and see the work being delivered on the ground.

Councillor Jim McMahon, Deputy Leader of East Ayrshire Council, said:

“It was a pleasure to visit Rugby Park to see and hear firsthand the phenomenal work that The Killie Community is doing to improve people’s wellbeing.

Making a difference to peoples lives is the golden thread that runs through the organisation.

Employment, mental and physical health, community cohesion,  and tackling social isolation were some of the issues I heard about during my visit, and what is being done to tackle these head on.

The Social Return for every £1.00 spent delivers £21.39, and an astonishing £6.4 million on total Social Value.

Congratulation to all the team at the Charity, and thank you for everything you are doing to improve peoples lives.”

Jordan Allison, Head of Charity at The Killie Community, said:

“We’ve always believed in the power of football to reach people in ways that traditional services sometimes can’t. This report gives clear evidence of the difference that approach is making.

A lot of this work has developed over a number of years in response to real need. What this shows now is that there is a significant opportunity to build on that, working more closely with partners to deliver even greater impact and help ease the pressure on vital public services.”

Luke Collins, Collins McHugh, said:

“Collins McHugh were delighted to partner with The Killie Community to produce their first social value impact report. Throughout the project, it was clear that the needs of people and communities across East Ayrshire are at the heart of every decision and approach to delivery.

A social return on investment of over £21 for every £1 invested reflects a charity delivering impact far beyond the scale of its resources. This is a testament to the dedication of the delivery teams and their shared passion for driving positive change in their community.

The Killie Community are a real asset to East Ayrshire, and we look forward to seeing their impact continue to grow in the years ahead.”