EFL Trust are proud to support Amnesty #FootballWelcomes initiative

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This weekend (27-28 April), more than 160 football Clubs across the country (44 of those Clubs from the EFL) are taking part in Amnesty’s Football Welcomes initiative.

The campaign, now in its third year, sees football Clubs lay aside rivalries and come together to celebrate the contribution refugee players make to the beautiful game.

From a group of children fleeing the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s who went on to become some of the first refugees to play professionally here, to the likes of former Bolton Wanderers midfielder Fabrice Muamba; ex-Manchester City forward Nadia Nadim; Arsenal’s Granit Xhaka; Dejan Lovren at Liverpool and Crystal Palace’s Christian Benteke,players with a refugee background have been making their mark on the game for decades.

Backed by the EFL; a number of Premier League clubs; the FA Women’s Super League; the FA Women’s National League and grassroots and non-league teams across the country, Football Welcomes also aims to highlight the important role football clubs can play in welcoming refugees and people seeking asylum into their local communities, and in helping them to settle in to a new country and culture.

EFL Chief Executive, Shaun Harvey said:

“Football Welcomes highlights the vital role football and our 72 clubs can play in bringing their communities together.   Refugees have made a significant and lasting contribution to professional football in this country and we are proud to support this important initiative to celebrate the impact they have had on the game, whilst also making local refugees and people seeking asylum feel welcome at EFL matches.”

Many other clubs around the country will be giving free match tickets to refugees and people seeking asylum living locally, arranging player visits or stadium tours, or organising a match or tournament for refugees and asylum seekers in their community programmes.

Naomi Westland, Football Welcomes Manager at Amnesty International UK said:

“Football clubs are at the heart of their communities and it’s great to see teams across the UK using the international language of football to create connection, respect and friendship across cultures. With so many people across the globe forced to abandon their homes due to conflict and instability, it’s important that football clubs use their platform to send out a clear message: refugees are welcome here.”

Wigan Athletic to sponsor Wigan Pride celebrations for fourth consecutive year

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For the fourth year running, Wigan Athletic will be showing their support for Wigan Pride by helping to sponsor the event in the town centre on Saturday 10th August 2019. 

This year’s event will highlight equality and diversity, and will also mark 50 years since the Stonewall riots in New York, which led to the development of the gay rights movement across the world.

Each year, Latics support the work of Football v Homophobia, with players warming up in branded t-shirts and members of the U18s squad taking part in an educational workshop.

Wigan Athletic Community Trust will be working closely with Stonewall, a lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights charity in the United Kingdom, and the Premier League to provide training to its staff about how to make sessions more inclusive to LGBTQ young people.

Jonathan Jackson, Wigan Athletic Chief Executive, said: “Wigan Pride celebrations over the past three years have been excellent events which have helped to bring communities across Wigan together to highlight equality, diversity and respect in our borough. 

He added: “We’re committed to promoting equality and diversity at Wigan Athletic through our Together programme and look forward to be in attendance at this year’s Wigan Pride.”

Taking place in the town centre from 11am-5pm, Wigan Pride will be a day of entertainment for the whole family, with activities including a street parade, arts, crafts, music and more, while club staff will be present at the event to showcase the work of the award-winning Community Trust.

Daniel Bonney, Vice Chair of the Wigan Pride Committee, said: “We’re so grateful and proud to have the support of Wigan Athletic for a fourth consecutive year. As an event organised by a voluntary multi-agency committee, we are solely funded by our partners and sponsors so it is amazing to have the support from one of the borough’s major sports teams.

He added: “From taking part in the Football v Homophobia activities to their work with Stonewall, it’s great to see the club being so inclusive and taking a stand for the local LGBTQ+ community.

If you are an LGBTQ Latics supporter or are interested in LGBTQ issues and would like to know more about the club’s Together programme, please contact Head of Community Tom Flower by calling 01942 318090 or emailing [email protected]

Interested in getting involved in Wigan Pride? Would your business like to become a sponsor the event? Please visit WWW.WIGANPRIDE.COM or email us at [email protected].

 

National Siblings Day: Twins Grace and Lauren are excelling at Bristol City Community Trust

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On National Siblings Day we showcase the fantastic work of twin sisters Grace and Lauren Phillips who are second year students on Bristol City Community Trust’s football and futsal BTEC level 3 extended diploma in sport programme.

After excelling in their studies, they are both on track to achieving the grade of triple distinction star in their sports diplomas, a result which has led them to receiving offers to continue their studies at Gloucester University next year.

As well as exceeding in the classroom, the two sisters are key players in the Community Trust’s women’s futsal team and have played an integral part in the teams journey in making it to the National Finals which will be played at England’s St George’s Park next month.

Chloe Rogers, who is Sports Lecturer and Futsal Academy Coach at Bristol City Community Trust, has worked closely with the girls in improving their futsal performance. Talking about her experience of coaching the girls, she said:

“They are both a joy to coach, competing is in their blood and the passion they have every time they step on to play whether that be in training or fixtures is admirable, they encourage others and only recently whilst we were competing in Portugal they stepped up and encouraged the younger girls which is a coach’s dream.”

As well as studying with The Robins, Grace and Lauren are also members of the Trust’s Youth Council – a body of eight young people who help to shape the work done at the Community Trust – and have been since the council’s conception nearly three years ago.

During their time on the Youth Council, the twins have been involved in representing the Trust at Parliament during last year’s regional EFL Awards event and they have both received national recognition for their work after winning the 2017/18 FA Women’s Football Award for ‘Best Participation Initiative’ for the Trust’s ‘Future Fives’ initiative – a programme which they masterminded.

In addition to this, Grace and Lauren have each spent over 400 hours volunteering with the Trust on various different projects and programmes and are currently working at Easter Holiday football camps.

Head of Education at the Trust, Chris Stenner, commented that, “Lauren and Grace are two inspirational young women who have given a lot back to their local community.

“They have continued that hard work in the class room and on the pitch and are a credit to the Trust.”

Talking about her experience of volunteering for the Trust, Lauren said, “Volunteering for the Trust has been great, and it has been really rewarding to give something back to the local community.”

To find out more about Bristol City Community Trust visit: https://www.bcfc.co.uk/bristol-city-community-trust/ 

 

Teens tackle homelessness in Hull

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17 teenagers from Yorkshire and Humber dedicated their time to help a homeless family move into a house as part of NCS Action Day.

Partnering with Hull Homeless Community Project (HHCP), the group undertook a project to redecorate a house giving a homeless family the best possible start in their new home, as well as giving a fresh lick of paint to the HHCP offices for the community to enjoy.

In one day, the group had achieved what they set out to do, as they repainted every room and moved furniture into the house and as a result, a family in Hull were given a foundation to restart their lives in a new home.

Prior to their project, the group also raised funds through a charity football event and bake sale. The money raised was used to buy items such as tinned food, pasta, rice, sanitary products, and toiletries for care packages that will be distributed across  three homeless charities in Yorkshire and Humber, (HHCP, The Welcome Centre (Huddersfield) and Ben’s Centre (Sheffield).

Jaz, 17, from Hull said;

“I’m incredibly proud of the team and how our social action project went.

“It feels amazing to have pulled off such a large project and for the group to come together to help others.

“Hopefully, we have made huge difference to a family’s life and the care packages will give some relief to people less fortunate.”

Jaz and the other young people are part of the Regional Youth Board after completing NCS (National Citizen Service) with EFL Trust (English Football League).

Their project was part of an annual event, NCS Action Day, which aims to showcase the true power of young people as NCS graduates, using the skills and experience they gained on programme to continue to make positive changes in their local area.

Andrew Smith, founder of HHCP, thanks the young people from NCS for their time and support;

“The difference they have made was instantaneous, our client was lost for words when she saw her newly decorated home.

“This means we can move her into her new home swiftly and smoothly and will give her the best chance of a meaningful recovery from crisis and homelessness.”

All teens involved have completed NCS with EFL Trust through their local football Club or youth organisation.

In 2018, NCS graduates from EFL Trust delivered over 130,000 hours of social action, raising of £100,000 for local charities in Yorkshire and Humber.

To find out more about the NCS and Action Day visit ncsyes.co.uk.

World Health Day – Extra Time Hubs

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Today (7th April 2019) is World Health Day. A day to raise global awareness and local conversations about ways to achieve health for all.

We, alongside our 72 EFL Club Community Trusts, use the power of sport to improve health and well-being in local communities around the UK.

Working across all age groups and sections of the community from healthy eating sessions in primary schools through to sessions helping those suffering from dementia.

Extra Time Hubs

Extra Time Hubs is a national project from the EFL Trust that is delivered by 12 EFL Clubs. The Hubs harness the power of football Clubs in the local communities to bring people together and improve health and well-being.

The project, that was made possible thanks to National Lottery funding from Sport England, aims to bring together retired and semi-retired people, getting them involved in a range of activities such as arts and crafts, table tennis, walks, talks, bungee jumping, quizzes and music in their free time.

Those involved have the opportunity to meet and spend time with like-minded people in their area, proving that you’re never too old to learn to do the things you’ve always wanted to do. Urology and sports: for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, an athlete is prescribed Viagra (Vialiks), but it is important to choose the correct dosage, about the dosage of Vialiks can be found here – https://www.vialiks.com/how-to-use-vialiks-properly/.

Mike Evans, EFL Trust Director of Operations said: “With the support of Sport England’s Active Ageing fund from the National Lottery, we use the power of our football club badges to bring people together in a comfortable, familiar environment and allow them to shape their future path to improved health and well-being.”

World Health Day – Football Fans in Training

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Today (7th April 2019) is World Health Day. A day to raise global awareness and local conversations about ways to achieve health for all.

We, alongside our 72 EFL Club Community Trusts, use the power of sport to improve health and well-being in local communities around the UK.

Working across all age groups and sections of the community from healthy eating sessions in primary schools through to sessions helping those suffering from dementia.

Football Fans in Training (FFIT)

The Football Fans in Training scheme, delivered by 5 EFL Club Community Trusts [Swindon Town, Wycombe Wanderers, Blackpool, Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic], is aimed at overweight football fans, encouraging them to lose weight, get fit and live a healthier, more active life.

Fans on the scheme take part in a 12-week training programme delivered by Club community coaches at their team’s home stadium. They are also grounded in current science of how to eat more healthily and become more active.

Since running the FFIT project, Swindon Town FC Community Foundation have helped more than 200 fans lose more than 250 stone collectively.

One participant in particular on The Robins’ programme, Dave Potts, was the biggest loser out of the group that ran in 2018, after losing nearly 3 stone and 16cm off his waist (16.3% of his starting weight).

Talking about his experience on the programme he said: “Since starting the Football Fans in Training programme I’m a lot fitter, sleeping better and I’m lot happier.

“The result that was a real shock to me was that my blood pressure has come down by over 15%.

“The course has made so many huge changes in my life.”

Mike Evans, Director of Operations at EFL Trust said: “The EFL Trust is committed to improving the lives of people within EFL communities across country and Football Fans in Training is proven to be a great way to get people to think about sustainable changes to improve their lives.

“We are proud of the work in our EFL Clubs in this area so far and hope to do more to address this important challenge going forward.”

World Health Day – Joy of Moving

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Today (7th April 2019) is World Health Day. A day to raise global awareness and local conversations about ways to achieve health for all.

We, alongside our 72 EFL Club Community Trusts, use the power of sport to improve health and well-being in local communities around the UK.

Working across all age groups and sections of the community from healthy eating sessions in primary schools, through to sessions helping those suffering from dementia.

Joy of Moving

The Joy of Moving Programme, delivered locally by 23 EFL Club Community Trusts, is designed to help children develop their physical health, cognitive and social skills in a fun and educational way.

The Trusts run fun and engaging activities over a course of six-weeks, with children from year 5 spending time in the classroom learning about the body, nutrition and the importance of exercise, through participating in interactive activities.

The classroom sessions are then followed by a session dedicated to playing football, dodgeball or handball, with two weeks spent on each sport.

In the 2017/18 season the programme impacted over 60,000 primary school children. It is also an important study in 2019 for athletes in the study of urology and the work of sildenafil under heavy loads. Learn more about Generic Viagra here https://www.vialiks.com/ and how to buy Viagra online.

Mike Evans, Director of Operations at the EFL Trust said: “The Joy of Moving programme and our partnership with Ferrero is growing from strength to strength.

‘’The power of sport and the club badge allows our network of Community Trusts to deliver key messages, such as tackling obesity, to reach out to the wider community.

‘’We are committed to helping the next generation discover the joy of moving and we look forward to continuing to work with Ferrero and our own network to achieve this.”

Tom’s 12-year journey with Brenford FC Community Sports Trust – From participant to volunteer

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Volunteering for his local Community Sports Trust was not something Tom Campbell (pictured far left) could have envisaged when he joined Brentford’s disability projects twelve years ago.

Tom, who has autism, joined the weekly football sessions to support him with his social and communication difficulties. His parents’ motivation for joining the project came from his difficulties in social situations; yet our ‘On the Ball’ project proved to be a turning point for Tom.

With football always being a personal passion, he found his vocation and, over the years, took on some leadership roles within the session.

The Trust’s ‘On the Ball’ project aims to tackle mental health problems on the heart of the football pitch. The ten-week programme supports children – aged 5-11 years old – who have autism or learning difficulties in west London. The project is delivered in partnership with Action Attainment, a charity in west London that is committed to enabling children with speech, language, communication and sensory needs to achieve and have active lives.

Speaking about the project, and the benefit it has had on him, Tom said:

“The Saturday morning football sessions have become a regular component of my week; I have been going for at least 12 years now. I have improved my physical fitness, coordination and strength, and it has given me something of real value to do on the weekend.

This project had such a profound effect on Tom that he began volunteering for the Trust three years ago – supporting the Trust’s disability projects and taking on the role of Assistant Head Coach.

“Volunteering has been a learning curve as I have learnt how to handle many different types of people from different backgrounds and different physical difficulties,” Tom said.

“I have also started going regularly to Brentford home games as a season ticket holder; this has become a major part of my life and I have become a passionate supporter and I love going to games.”

And Disability Manager for the Trust, Chris Tribe, believes that Tom has flourished in his role as a volunteer – becoming a role model for other children who have autism.

“When Tom first started, he was very anxious and reluctant to join in with the activities,” Chris said.

“Over time, his confidence really increased and in recent years, he has volunteered for us and become an avid Brentford fan and season-ticket holder. We look forward to working with Tom and his family as his journey into adult life progresses.”

Last year, Tom started full-time employment, and he credits his volunteering experience with helping him gain this role.  And despite him kick-starting his professional career, you will still see Tom coaching the Saturday morning sessions – giving back to the project that helped him all those years ago.

Teens from Yorkshire and Humber give up their time to tackle the big issues in their community

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A record number of over 200 teens in Yorkshire and Humber will be giving up their time to tackle issues such as homelessness, loneliness, cultural divides and mental health as part of Action Day, a national movement organised by National Citizen Service (NCS).

Action Day is an annual event which aims to showcase the true power of young people as NCS graduates use the skills and experiences gained on the programme to continue to make positive changes in their local area.

In 2018, NCS graduates from EFL Trust delivered over 130,000 hours of social action, raising over £100,000 for local charities in Yorkshire and Humber.

Highlights of Action Day will include;

  • Teens from Reds in the Community (Barnsley FC) hosting an open event for homeless people offering food as well as services such as job centre advice and haircuts.
  • Doncaster Rovers’ Local Youth Board hosting a ‘Country and Western’ evening to tackle loneliness in elderly people in Doncaster by integrating them with young people.
  • A group of teens from Hull renovating a house which is to be occupied by homeless people as well as distributing care packages to homeless people across the city.
  • Teens in Sheffield will be raising awareness of mental health at Sheffield Wednesday’s home fixture against Nottingham Forest. Across the other side of the city teens from Sheffield United will be handing out care packages to the homeless.

Mike Evans, Director of Operations at EFL Trust, says: “We are delighted to have so many NCS graduates involved in NCS Action Day to make a positive difference in their local community. The passion and drive that young people have to make a difference is inspirational, and I’m proud that so many of our graduates will be selflessly giving up their time to engage with issues in their local area.”

All teens involved have completed NCS with EFL Trust through their local football Club or youth organisation. After completing the initial programme, participants become NCS graduates who have access to a wide range of opportunities and support to continue making their mark in their communities.

To find out more about the NCS programme or to sign up visit ncsyes.co.uk.

St Joseph’s Catholic Academy win the 2019 EFL Girls Cup!

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St Joseph’s Catholic Academy won the 2019 EFL Girls Cup on Sunday, with both themselves and Mangotsfield School putting in a performance to be proud of at the iconic Wembley Stadium.

In what was an excellent contest and a fitting end to this year’s competition, St Joseph’s – representing Checkatrade Trophy finalists Sunderland – won 3-1 against their opponents, who were representing Bristol Rovers.

Before kick-off, there was a special surprise in store, as England international Jordan Nobbs gave both teams a pre-match team talk and posed for photos.

The game itself was the perfect precursor to the Checkatrade Trophy Final, with fans of both Sunderland and Portsmouth getting behind the girls. Jess Harvey gave Mangotsfield School the lead with a superb finish, but another well-taken goal, this time from Sophie Greener for St Joseph’s, meant it was level at the break.

After the interval, Greener also claimed an assist, with a piece of individual brilliance seeing her set up Eve Parker to fire home. Parker then scored her second to seal the win and the trophy, going through on goal and slotting the ball into the bottom right-hand corner.

Both sides received medals in the Royal Box after the game in recognition of their fantastic achievements in the 2018/19 Girls Cup, and St Joseph’s lifted the trophy to great applause around Wembley.

After the game, Greener said: “It feels amazing to say I’ve played at Wembley, and even better to say that I’ve scored. Meeting Jordan Nobbs before the game, someone who’s been here before, made us even more confident.”

Parker added: “Not many professional players get the chance to play at Wembley, so to play there at this age and score two goals is amazing. It feels like the whole journey has been worth it, it’s been amazing and it’s great to play with such talented girls.”

Alicia Berry, Assistant Curriculum Leader of PE at St Joseph’s Catholic Academy who was there on the day to support the girls said: “It’s hard to put into words how I’m feeling to be honest.

“I’m over the moon. It’s probably one of the proudest moments of my life to say that we have such talented girls and that they have had the opportunity to showcase their talents at a stage as big as Wembley. I’m so pleased for them.”

Everyone at the EFL Trust would like to congratulate both teams and thank them for their part in what was a memorable day for those involved.