Mental Health

Parliament Education

Football: Teaching Children the Importance of Democracy

1000’s of children learned about the importance of parliament and democracy thanks to an innovative project run by EFL Trust in partnership with the Parliament Education Service.

Twelve professional Football clubs in Yorkshire used the power of football to go into schools to educate children about the work of Parliament and why this is relevant to them.

The programme targeted both primary and secondary schools and reached over 14,000 children in six months.  The Football Club’s Community Trusts visited schools to talk to students about parliament, politics and democracy through the themes of gamesmanship, rule-making and active citizenship.

Mike Evans, Director of Operations at EFL Trust, commented “It’s not immediately obvious why football is teaching children about the democratic process. However, football clubs are based at the heart of their communities and the power of the club badge within that community means children are often prepared to listen when coaches and players visit schools.”

Mike continues, “Especially in an election year it is vitally important that children understand the importance of a democratic process and why it is relevant to them. This is why we are delighted to be working with Parliament Education Service to get this message across.”

The participating clubs were:

  • Doncaster Rovers
  • Sheffield Wednesday
  • Sheffield United
  • Barnsley
  • Rotherham
  • Leeds United
  • Bradford City
  • Huddersfield Town
  • Scunthorpe
  • York City
  • Grimsby
  • Hull City

FFD

Female Football Participation passes 30,000 with the Football League

Over 30,000 women and girls have starting playing football in the past two year with their local Football League club a report reveals this week.

The Football League Trusts Female Football Development programme (FFD) is run by 55 clubs across the country and aims to get women and girls playing the game.  Perhaps more importantly the figures also reveal that over 97% of the women and girls who have been introduced to football have continued to be involved.

Nicol Meredith, Female Football Officer with The Football League Trust, comments, “Getting so many girls involved in the programme that are new to football and the massive retention rates shows the power that football clubs have in their communities. The programme focuses on having fun as well as the social and health benefits of playing football. This innovative approach has led to football clubs running brand new activities that appeal to girls who wouldn’t normally be interested in football such as Soccercise and Zumba Fitness Football, which are football based aerobics sessions. ”

The programme is funded by The FA and Sport England and was launched in 2013 to get women and girls aged 14 and over to start, and continue, playing football using the reach Football League Trusts and Premier League to deliver at grassroots. This is the first time that all four organisations have worked on a project of this kind.  It was announced over the summer that due to the success of the first two years of the scheme more than £3,700,000 of joint FA and Sport England investment will be allocated to the programme by July 2016.

Furthermore with the success of the Lionesses at the World cup, we are looking to capitalise even more on the extra interest that this has provoked and get more girls benefiting from playing football.” As well as getting hard to reach groups involved in the game our sustained approach to developing female participation is getting more women in key positions at professional Football League clubs and their Community Schemes. Nicol, continues “Football has an amazing power to break down all kinds of barriers. Another success of the programme is that participation among minority ethnic groups in the FFD programme is over 20%.

Utilita Kids Cup

Holiday/After School Activities

Walking Football

EFL Trust Futsal

Traineeships (16-18 year olds)

Traineeships (19-24 year olds)