AFC Wimbledon: Reconnecting with the Community through the Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce

AFC Wimbledon, a fan-owned football club with deep roots in the local area, has found new ways to connect with the Wandsworth community since returning to its historic home at Plough Lane.

The club joined the Wandsworth Chamber of Commerce as a Chamber Patron member when they moved back to Plough Lane to the brand-new Cherry Red Records Stadium.

"It was a fantastic way to reconnect," says Bal Srai, Head of Revenue.

"Being back in the area, we wanted to reestablish ourselves, not just as a football club but as an integral part of the Wandsworth community,” said Bal. “Joining the Chamber provided us with the perfect platform to engage with local businesses and rebuild relationships that had been challenging to maintain during our time away."

Since becoming a Chamber Patron, AFC Wimbledon has leveraged Chamber opportunities effectively, with networking within the Wandsworth business community proving invaluable.

"Networking has been a huge benefit for us," explains Alex Glaister, Business Development Executive. "The face-to-face engagement with local businesses and residents is crucial. The Chamber facilitates these personal interactions, strengthening our connection with the community."

As Chamber Patron members, AFC Wimbledon have also had the opportunity to host Chamber events too.

"This year we hosted the Chamber’s Christmas Party, which was a really fun, festive evening,” added Alex. “And we’ve also hosted pre-game networking events in our hospitality lounge before fixtures, which is something we will continue to do. It’s a great and fun way to network and it allows us to showcase our fantastic new stadium and facilities to people who might not otherwise know about them. As the stadium opened during COVID, it’s crucial for us to try to spread the word about the stadium and the Chamber has helped us to become more well-known in the business community.”

This year, AFC Wimbledon will once again welcome businesses for pre-game networking on October 22nd ahead of their Tuesday night fixture against Morecambe. The event will combine live football with a unique networking opportunity, giving members the chance to build relationships while experiencing the matchday atmosphere at Plough Lane.

AFC Wimbledon has hosted a wide variety of events at the stadium over the past year, showcasing the versatility of their facilities. The club has hosted the following:

• A white-collar boxing fight

• A speaker event series which included ‘An Evening with Geoff Hurst’

• Charity gala dinners for their charity partner, DLAG, with up to 400 attendees

• Stadium events, including a circus for a consultancy firm's team-building day

• An NFL community event and corporate football matches on the pitch, with multiple businesses hiring the stadium for recreational games

Additionally, the club regularly rents out their smaller lounges and executive boxes for internal meetings and conferences.

“We are blessed with fantastic facilities here at AFC Wimbledon,” added Events Manager Sam Earle. “The variety of events we’ve hosted highlights the versatility of our venue. Embedding ourselves in the local community has been a key focus since our return home. We’re excited to show local businesses around and inspire ideas for events they can hold here. The versatility of our venue has been shown by the wide-range of events we’ve hosted – and the circus was a particular highlight of the past year!”

❛❛The face-to-face engagement with local businesses and residents is crucial. The Chamber facilitates these personal interactions, strengthening our connection with the community.