Best Football Community Scheme
WINNER
Albion in the Community
Albion in the Community is one of the leading football charities in the UK, with a reputation for delivering pioneering, innovative and impactful programmes across the south coast.
Working in some of the most economically and health deprived coastal communities in the UK, the charity makes a genuine and lasting difference to the lives of tens of thousands of local people.
A recent independent social and economic study found Albion in the Community creates an annual social impact valued in excess of £28million, all from an income of just £3.2million. Put simply, for every £1 of income, the charity creates £8.84 of positive impact for local people.
It is a record which everyone connected with Brighton & Hove Albion is incredibly proud – including the club’s supporters. In the most-recent Premier League Fan Matchday Survey, the charity’s work again led the way in how fans of Premier League clubs viewed their community schemes.
The survey found 95% of Albion supporters felt the club made a significant contribution to the local community (compared to a Premier League average of 77%), with 94% feeling that the work was an important part of the culture and philosophy of Brighton & Hove Albion.
SILVER
Saints Foundation
Saints Foundation, the charity of Southampton Football Club, aims to inspire individuals from Southampton and the surrounding areas in their journey to fulfilling their potential. Using insights, data, and evidence from multiple stakeholders across our community, we ensure that our support focusses on those who need us most. Our workforce of over 100 members of staff work hard to deliver consistent support delivering 110,474 hours in 2018/19 and despite restrictions 45,668 hours throughout 2019/20 alongside the delivery of food and prescriptions.
The pandemic has exacerbated pre-existing needs within our communities, as well as presenting a whole new set of additional needs. Our delivery over the past season has adapted to ensure that we can support with as many of those needs as possible.
BRONZE
Newcastle United Foundation
Newcastle United Foundation was established in 2008 as the official charity arm of Newcastle United. For 13 years, our Foundation has been harnessing the passion for football in the North East to motivate and inspire people to be more active, learn new skills, be more employable and to reach their potential.
Based at St. James’ Park, our award-winning charity has grown to accommodate more than 100 full-time colleagues and 63 sessional staff. We deliver 43 individual community, employability, educational and health and wellbeing projects from Berwick to County Durham – supporting more than 66,000 people each year.
Be A Game Changer is our mental health awareness campaign, encouraging men to talk more openly about how they are really feeling. We use matchdays, men’s health workshops and physical and mental wellness sessions to reach men who rarely engage with traditional wellbeing campaigns, but who we know are inspired by the United crest.
Providing the support, guidance and tools we all need for mental wellness, we aim to reduce the stigma around starting a conversation about mental health. The campaign shares the poignant stories of the one in four of us who will experience a mental health issue in our lifetime.
