BEST FOOTBALL COMMUNITY SCHEME – Premier League & Championship
Aston Villa Foundation – Driving Community Impact and Excellence
The Aston Villa Foundation has a clear sense of direction and purpose following the development of it’s 2024-29 strategic framework.
The Foundation delivers a range of programmes for young people inside schools, working with whole schools or year groups, as well as providing more focused interventions for young people with additional educational or behavioural needs.
In addition we offer a range of innovative and impactful programmes based in some of Birmingham’s most challenging neighbourhoods to provide activities that promote sport, wellbeing, personal development and leadership – encouraging responsible citizenship and promoting aspiration.
Our ‘golden thread’ ensures our projects are interconnected, offering a pathway for young people inside and outside of school, into further and higher education, and into employment, , engaging over 30,000 people each year.
We are clear about our role in connecting Aston Villa Football Club to it’s key stakeholders; our local neighbourhoods, fans, corporate partners and statutory agencies, utilising the club as a Force for Good.
Alongside our own delivery, the Foundation shares it’s resources and capabilities to support other community organisations and groups with their own aspriations, through a wide range of funding and infrastructure support to achieve a greater collective impact for marginalised communities.
Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation – Changing Lives Through Football
The Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation, a leading community organisation, engages over 35,000 people annually across Sussex. Supported by 150 staff and 500 volunteers, it delivers 350 weekly sessions in 90 towns, addressing challenges in some of the UK’s most deprived coastal areas. Through football, the Foundation inspires young people to get active, learn new skills, and live well, with 95% of fans praising its local impact.
This year, the Foundation partnered with Sussex Police to target youth crime hotspots, addressing issues such as deprivation, school exclusions, and mental health challenges. By combining football with mentoring and pitch-side workshops on topics like anger management and substance awareness, the programme promoted pro-social behaviours and built trust between young people and the police.
Key innovations included leveraging the Brighton & Hove Albion brand to engage hard-to-reach groups, using VR workshops on knife crime, and fostering police-youth relationships through active participation in sessions. Over 1,000 young people benefited, with a 65% reduction in criminal activity, including a 91% drop in violent offences. The programme also achieved significant cost savings, reducing crime costs by £48,720.
Testimonials from police, parents, and participants highlighted the programme’s success in reducing crime, improving community relations, and transforming lives.
Burnley FC in the Community – Empowering Burnley
Burnley FC in the Community runs over 50 programmes across various demographics, focusing on four key areas:
• Football, Sport and Education
• Welfare and Inclusion
• Operating three Community Facilities
• Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI)
The charity, financially independent from Burnley Football Club, aims to create lasting change in the community through health, education, social inclusion, disability support, female football, youth crime prevention, and mental health services.
Challenges:
• Addressing social disparity and promoting inclusivity in the town and surrounding areas
• Improving health in an area with higher-than-average health issues.
• Raising aspirations in one of the most deprived areas in the UK
Solutions:
• Finding partnerships to create lasting impact
• Recognising the needs of participants and adapting to change
• Providing opportunities for those less fortunate
Burnley FC in the Community continues to adapt and grow, addressing the ever-changing needs of the community.
LFC Foundation – Raising Aspirations & Changing Lives
The LFC Foundation is the official charity of Liverpool Football Club (LFC) and harnesses the power and passion of the Club’s fans and stakeholders to create life changing opportunities for young people and families.
Tacking social inequality in communities is core to the Foundation’s purpose, with a mission to raise aspirations home and away by improving health, championing learning and enhancing employability.
Each season the Foundation’s programmes deliver the best possible outcomes whilst working towards systemic, sustainable change to benefit future generations in line with the Clubs ‘The Red Way’ strategy.
Key headline insights for 23/24 season include;
• The LFC Foundation supported over 127,000 individual people (153% increase since 20/21 season).
• Almost 60% of programme participants were from the top 20% most deprived areas of the country
• The average session rating was 9.2 on a scale of 0-10 where 10 is the most positive.
• The likeliness that participants would recommend the LFC Foundation to a friend was 9.1 on a scale of 0-10.
• The work of the Foundation contributed £92.14m social value to the region (total of £284.47m in 4 years).
• Every £1 spent created a social return of £1:£13.70.
Saints Foundation
Saints Foundation supports Southampton by delivering projects that respond to the ever-evolving needs of the people in our city and those who feel the impact of inequalities the most.
We deliver 15 projects under four key pillars of need: Education, Health, Development (Gender Equality, Disability and Employability) and Pathways (rehabilitation and reduction on offending at a youth and adult level).
Some of Saints Foundation’s achievements in the 2023/2024 season include:
• Engaged with 5779 unique participants within Southampton.
• 76% of young people who were referred to us by youth justice didn’t reoffend for 3 months and 50% didn’t reoffend at all.
• 90% of those we work with in hospital either improved or maintained their discharge status. Before working with us almost 40% of our older adults in our Falls project had to be admitted to hospital because of a fall – after working with this that drops to only 6%.
• Saints Foundation generated £7,381,255 of social value.
Ultimately, we strive to reduce inequality and promote positive change within Southampton, enabling everyone in the city an equal opportunity to succeed.
Vitality Changing the Game content: How AFC Bournemouth Unites their Community
The “Changing the Game” episode highlights the impactful partnership between Vitality and AFC Bournemouth, showcasing their commitment to community engagement through football. This initiative has positively influenced over 135,000 children by promoting physical activity and healthy lifestyles. The episode emphasizes inclusivity, featuring programs like the Disability Programme and Cherries Kickstart, which ensure football is accessible to all community members, regardless of background or abilities. Key figures from the club provide insights into the strategic planning and dedication behind these initiatives, demonstrating a long-term vision for community well-being. This partnership exemplifies how football can be a force for good.
Watford FC’s Community Sport and Education Trust
Based on local research, participant feedback and stakeholder input, the Trust relaunched it’s strategy and five-year plan at the start of 2024. This focused on improving physical and mental wellbeing, developing community cohesion and equipping people for future opportunities.
New projects were introduced to support the needs of individuals across Hertfordshire and Greater London. This included improving young people’s body image perceptions, falls prevention for those aged over 65, and supporting the wellbeing of the club’s fans. All these efforts supplemented existing projects.
The Trust’s Impact Report shows it supported over 20,000 unique individuals, a 28% increase on the previous year. The annual survey showed 98% agreed the Trust makes a positive difference to the lives of participants. Individual feedback has been excellent:
“If Man On! didn’t exist, I don’t know what I’d be doing…I was just sleeping my life away. It’s given me a boost and helped me create a life.”
“Our son has had such a tough start to his life and struggles in lots of areas but Empower has always always always been positive for him!”
“I struggled to get him out of bed this morning, and now you have him dancing! It’s amazing!” Golden Memories attendee.
