Best Football Community Scheme – Premier League
Albion in the Community (Brighton & Hove Albion)
Albion in the Community are the official charity of Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club. For more than 30 years we have been using the life changing power of football to engage and inspire people to make good life choices and help to reduce inequalities in our local communities in Sussex.
We run over 350 sessions per week across our three priority areas of football participation, education and employability and community wellbeing.
In response to the challenges of the pandemic and cost of living crisis, AITC refocussed its programme of activities to ensure we supported our communities at a most critical period to help support them to get active, learn new skills and live well throughout Sussex.
• Engaging 20,000 people through the year.
• Supporting 15,000 on a regular ongoing basis
• Supporting 165 local schools with numeracy, literacy, PHSE and PE.
• 9,000 schoolchildren engaged in our programmes
• 1,500 people with a disability supported
• 90% of participants reported ‘feeling more confident’.
• 81% of participants reported ‘feeling more positive about their future’.
Everton in the Community
We pride ourselves on being ‘The People’s Club’ and doing what is right for our local communities We have never shied away from tough challenges and this approach has positioned ourselves as the ‘go to’ sporting charity for advice and guidance both nationally and globally.
We work tirelessly to ensure we deliver a service which is ‘best in class’ and this has been reflected in the numerous awards we have secured, the media recognition we have received and the societal value we have generated.
We are very unique in that we have worked with an academic institution since 2013, have our own GP, deliver projects across the life course supporting from cradle to grave, tackle a broad range of social challenges and work with a range of stakeholders to ensure a collaborative, joined-up approach to maximise impact, avoid duplication and deliver services in a cost-effective way.
The addition of The People’s Place will mean EitC has created a £12 5m community campus in one of the UKs most deprived communities, which has completely transformed derelict land and disused buildings into purposeful resources for the community.
Fulham FC Foundation
Fulham FC Foundation have been delivering More Than A Game since March 2021. The project is a targeted mental health programme aiming to improve people’s mental health in South West London and provide participants with improved knowledge and skills for supporting themselves and others, improved confidence and increased mental health awareness. We aim to engage with young people aged 11-18, children and adults with disabilities and older socially isolated adults. In 2022 we exceeded our target by 283% reaching 839 people including, 652 young people, 128 children and adults with disabilities and 90 adults at risk of loneliness. Our survey results show that 100% of participants felt that their mental and physical health had improved as a result of attending More Than A Game. Further to this, 97% of participants have increased awareness of mental health and the services available and improved confidence and self-esteem, while 98% have improved knowledge of mental health, including how to support themselves and others.
LFC Foundation
We are very proud of the work that LFC Foundation and Red Neighbours collectively delivers representing Liverpool Football Club (LFC) in the community. The staff, coaches and volunteers consistently go above and beyond to help bring together the LFC family to create life changing opportunities for young people and families across the Liverpool City Region and beyond. Ultimately none of our work would be possible without the support of our funders, partners, participants, staff and the amazing LFC Family.
Some of our key achievements across the 2020/21 season include:
• Over 83,000 people supported
• Nearly two thirds (63%) were from the 20% most deprived wards in the country
• Most participants reported an improvement in their physical and / or mental health following a session (90% and 88% respectively)
• Delivery sessions scored an average of 9.25 out of 10 based on participant satisfaction
• Annual social value contribution of over £80 million
• SROI of £16.36 for every £1 invested in community projects
• Over 128,000 items donated, mainly food provisions such as hampers, to the local community
• Demonstratable contributions to 8 of the 17 UNSDG goals
• 200+ partners
Manchester United Foundation
During a time where our local communities have been impacted massively by the cost-of-living crisis, over the last year Manchester United Foundation demonstrated what we do best, which is to adapt and understand the needs of our young people. We see this as the basis of our growth, development and impact over the last 16 years.
Our mantra is where we serve, we stay – adopting a placed-based approach, full-time school partnership officers have worked in some of our region’s schools for over a decade. Close relationships with our schools and young people allow us to better understand the issues affecting them. This is reinforced by consultation with youth voice groups across all of our programmes.
Saints Foundation
Saints Foundation is the charity of Southampton Football Club. We support people in need throughout Southampton, providing life-changing opportunities to help our city and its communities thrive.
We deliver programmes that respond to the ever-evolving needs of the people of our city. Connecting with our communities using the power of the Saints badge, we help those who feel the impact of inequalities the most.
We use insights and data to identify the inequalities in our city and focus our delivery to support and empower those who need it most. Our work is coordinated with our club and more than 50 city partners to make sure we make maximum impact, when and where it’s required.
