Behind the Scenes: Implementing Abler at Newcastle United Foundation
Last Friday, our Implementation team touched down at St. James' Park for a milestone moment in Abler's journey; bringing Newcastle United Foundation onto our platform. As one of the largest and most wide-ranging community programmes in UK football, this implementation marked a significant step forward in our mission to empower football foundations with technology that matches their ambition.
A Day of Transformation at St. James' Park
The Sir Bobby Robson Suite buzzed with energy as around 50 Newcastle United Foundation staff gathered for comprehensive training sessions. Our team had structured the day to ensure every department could maximize Abler's potential: 60 minutes for coaches to master the system, followed by intensive 90-minute sessions for both administrative and finance teams.
What struck us immediately was the Foundation's scale of operations. With thousands of participants across hundreds of sessions every week, spanning education, health and wellbeing, sports participation, social inclusion, and employability programmes, Newcastle United Foundation needed more than just another software solution – they needed a complete operational transformation.
The "Aha" Moment That Changed Everything
While coaches quickly grasped how Abler would streamline their daily tasks, it was during the admin and finance sessions that we witnessed the real breakthrough moment. As our CFO demonstrated the comprehensive dashboard functionality, you could see the realisation dawn across the room.
For the first time, administrators would have complete visibility of how coaches – who work across different programs and divisions – spend their time. One dashboard showing exactly which coach worked where, when, and for how long. No more spreadsheet juggling. No more manual time tracking across multiple systems. Just clear, actionable data at their fingertips. The statistics that once took hours to compile would now be available in real-time.
More Than Just Training – A True Partnership
Our implementation approach reflected the unique needs of such a large foundation. Two team members focused specifically on coach training, ensuring those on the frontlines of community delivery felt confident with the system. Meanwhile, another specialist handled the administrative teams, while Abler's CFO personally led the finance training, bringing deep expertise to this critical area.
This wasn't just about teaching people to use software, it was about understanding how Newcastle United Foundation operates and configuring Abler to enhance, not disrupt, their incredible community work.
From Multiple Systems to One Unified Platform
Andy Foster, Director of Programmes and Impact at Newcastle United Foundation, captured the transformation perfectly: "Our community impact is growing year on year, and with that comes a level of operational complexity that demands a smarter approach. Partnering with Abler allows us to bring all of our systems into one place, freeing up time, improving communication, and giving us better insight into the difference we're making."
The Foundation is consolidating multiple disparate systems into Abler's unified platform:
- Staff management and scheduling across multiple venues
- Session booking and participant registration
- Internal and external communications
- Real-time data collection and funding reports
Looking Ahead: September Marks Full Transformation
While some programs went live over the summer for initial testing, the real transformation begins this September. That's when Newcastle United Foundation will move all their registrations to Abler, marking the complete migration to our platform.
For our CEO Markus Maute, this partnership represents exactly why Abler exists: "Newcastle United Foundation is a true leader in community engagement through sport. Our platform is designed to support organisations with large, complex programmes, and the Foundation is a perfect fit. Together, we're enabling their team to do what they do best – change lives through the power of football."
The Bigger Picture
As we packed up from the Sir Bobby Robson Suite, the significance of the day wasn't lost on our team. This wasn't just another implementation, it was about empowering one of UK football's most impactful community organisations to work smarter, not harder. Every efficiency gained means more time for what really matters: transforming lives across the North East.
The enthusiasm from Newcastle United Foundation's staff, their commitment to maximising Abler's potential, and their clear vision for community impact reminded us why we do what we do. When technology and purpose align, incredible things happen.
