What Birmingham 2026 leaves behind for grassroots clubs

Major championships always promise a "legacy". Most of the time that word does a lot of work covering for very little that ordinary clubs ever see. Birmingham 2026 is worth a closer look, because some of its legacy commitments are specific and already happening rather than vague and future-tense.

Beyond: the actual impact programme

The championships ran under an impact programme called Beyond, aimed at getting young people active and involved in community sport, alongside jobs and skills development. The stated goal was participation and community strength, not just a well-run week of elite competition.

Real money to real Birmingham clubs

England Athletics gave three Birmingham clubs, Birchfield Harriers, Birmingham Running and Triathlon Club, and Royal Sutton Coldfield AC, 19 coaching bursaries worth over £5,000 combined, to help volunteers qualify as Coaching Assistants and Athletics Coaches. That is not a headline figure, but it is the kind of funding that actually shows up as more qualified coaches at Tuesday night training a year later.

The "Athletics for All" argument

Organisers framed the wider strategy around an Athletics for All approach: the idea that broader participation strengthens clubs, builds bigger volunteer networks, and improves membership sustainability beneath elite performance, rather than elite success trickling down on its own. Whether that argument holds up is really a question for a few years from now, once the championships themselves are a distant memory.

What this means if you run a club

If you are involved in running a club anywhere in England, it is worth checking whether coaching bursaries or similar legacy funding are still open to apply for, rather than assuming they were only for clubs in Birmingham itself. See our guide to starting and affiliating a club for the basics of getting set up to take advantage of funding like this, or coaching qualifications explained if bursaries towards LiRF or CiRF courses are what would actually help your club most.

For more on the stadium itself, see our pieces on Alexander Stadium's route to Birmingham 2026 and the visitor guide.