Phill approached In the Middle with an opportunity to bring to life Northampton Town Community Trust Brand Strategy. Creating a clear vision for stronger community impact
The Challenge The Trust delivers a wide range of initiatives supporting people of all ages and backgrounds. While the organisation was making a significant impact, it needed a clear strategic direction to unify its work and communicate its vision to partners, funders, and stakeholders.
The challenge was to translate the Trust’s purpose and ambition into a focused strategy that would guide future growth and maximise community impact.
The Insight Northampton Town Community Trust works across Northamptonshire to improve lives through sport, education, health, and inclusion programmes. The organisation uses the influence of football to bring people together, build skills, and support wellbeing across the community.
In The Middle partnered with the Trust to develop a clear strategic framework that would strengthen its mission, focus its programmes, and guide its growth over the coming years.
This new four-year strategy sets out a bold and purposeful direction: one that places inclusion at the heart of our work, prioritises evidence of impact, and commits to strengthening our internal capabilities so that we remain resilient, responsive, and ready for the future.
Crucially, it reflects our belief that true community impact is only possible when people feel empowered, valued, and heard — whether they’re participants, staff, volunteers, or partners.
As the official charity of Northampton Town Football Club, we create opportunities and deliver projects that help people improve their lives.
The Approach In The Middle worked closely with the Trust to understand its goals, programmes, and the communities it serves. The process included:
Stakeholder engagement Collaborating with leadership and key stakeholders to understand the organisation’s mission and priorities.
Strategic analysis Reviewing existing programmes and identifying opportunities to strengthen impact and reach.
Vision and positioning Clarifying the Trust’s long-term vision and defining a clear strategic narrative.
Framework development Creating a structured strategy that could guide decision-making, programme development, and partnerships.
The Result The result was a comprehensive strategy designed to support the Trust’s ambition to create healthier, more connected communities.
The strategy established:
A clear vision for community impact
Strategic priorities aligned with the Trust’s mission
A framework for sustainable growth and programme development
A compelling narrative to support funding and partnerships
By connecting the Trust’s programmes under one strategic direction, the organisation now has a roadmap to help it deliver even greater impact across Northamptonshire. The trust hosted a strategy launch day, during October 2025. Which was a fantastic event that captured the imagination of everyone involved with the trust and gave us all the opportunity to hear and live some of the amazing work the trust does for the local community.
The Impact With a clear strategy in place, Northampton Town Community Trust is better positioned to:
Expand its community programmes
Strengthen partnerships with local organisations
Support health, wellbeing, and education initiatives
Reach more people across Northamptonshire
Guided by the power of football and a strong community focus, the Trust continues to help individuals and communities thrive.
The Claret Way represents the foundation of everything we do, ensuring consistency, integrity, and impact across all our initiatives. They are embedded in our culture, shaping our approach and guiding our actions.
People are healthy, happy and thriving in Northamptonshire.
This is a milestone moment for us as the official charity of Northampton Town Football Club. This is our next chapter and we’re excited for what the future brings… and the work starts now.
Phill Smith, CEO, Northampton Town Community Trust
