Adrian Tallon: This year has impacted the opportunities and aspirations of our nation’s young people

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After such an ‘unprecedented’ year that has impacted the opportunities and aspirations of our nation’s young people, the roadmap out of lockdown was welcome news…with the end of the restrictions hopefully now in sight.

The good news of a ‘way out’ has been offset by some stark data that has been released recently showing that young people are still faring worst, and facing a slow recovery.  With this in mind, it has been great to see the appetite of our network of Club Community Organisations (CCOs) to take this challenge on by offering Kickstart and Traineeship opportunities – key elements of the Government’s ‘Plan For Jobs’ – along with the CCOs offer of study programmes, apprenticeships and Higher Education.

This month’s report by Youth Futures Foundation found that young people have been particularly hard hit by a slowdown in hiring since last year.  The rollout of the Kickstart Scheme, which funds job placements for 16-24 year olds for 6 months, will help combat this issue and EFL Trust are working with over 70 Football Club Community Organisations to offer 650 funded placements across England and Wales through the Scheme.  Earlier this month, we ran workshops with our network of Kickstart employers, and it was great to hear the wide range of roles that are being planned for young people across the Football Clubs and the Community Organisations, including within the media and marketing teams, academy operations, community coaching, grounds keeping, youth work, and much more. Our first Kickstart placements are up and running and already we are hearing about how well-supported the young people feel, and how excited they are for the six months ahead.

To underline our commitment to supporting youth employment, the EFL Trust are proud to have signed the Good Youth Employment Charter; a pledge that we will follow the principles of good youth employment, including providing opportunities and developing talent, and we urge all of our partners on the Kickstart Scheme to do the same. A special mention to Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme for being the first to do so…

While there are some great opportunities for young people closer to the job market, it’s vital that those who were not engaged in education or employment before the pandemic hit are not left further behind due to the growth in youth unemployment numbers. Last week we were delighted to announce our Youth Futures Foundation funded ‘EFL Trust – Training Ground’ programme, which will support these young people to overcome the barriers they are facing, through a programme developing their physical activity, mental health awareness and resilience, and building the skills that they will ultimately need in order to move into good quality, sustained employment or further education.

February’s Labour Market Statistics briefing note from IES identified growth in employment in the Health and Care sector, and the EFL Trust have been working closely with NHS Employers and a number of individual NHS Trusts to create employability programmes focussed towards roles where there will be vacancies, preparing young people to work in the sector. Although in its infancy, this partnership work has the potential to be really powerful, with the EFL Trust and its partner Club Community Organisation engaging with stakeholders across the community to recruit participants on to an employability programme with jobs in mind. With programme delivery launching in March and April, I’m looking forward to seeing some impactful provision and powerful individual success stories.

While the challenges are clear to see, we are grateful to partner organisations that are supporting our plans over the coming months, including DWP and Youth Futures Foundation and most of all to the delivery staff within Education & Employability departments at our CCOs who are going to be delivering these programmes at as high a quality as ever.

We believe, more than ever, that our network have a key role to play in the ‘roadmap’ back to normal – remember that? – and tackling the youth unemployment challenge head-on is first on our list.

ONE MILLION FOOD PARCELS DELIVERED BY EFL CLUBS DURING PANDEMIC

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The English Football League (EFL) has delivered its one millionth food parcel as part of its ongoing community work supporting those in need during the global pandemic.  

A year to the day since football was forced to stop during the first national lockdown, the delivery of the one millionth food parcel is testament that football never went away, with all 72 EFL Clubs continuing to provide community outreach schemes over the last 12 months.  Nottingham Forest Football Club’s First-Team player, Ryan Yates, made the delivery to a local resident who has been relying on food parcel donations throughout the pandemic. The initiative is part of the EFL’s community response work to help some of the most vulnerable people in communities up and down the country since the outbreak of COVID-19. EFL players and staff are among those who have donated food and everyday essentials which have been packed and distributed to families facing food poverty or unable to leave their homes while shielding from Coronavirus. With fans absent from stadiums, vacant concourses have been used to store food donations while closed catering facilities re-opened to prepare hot meals and sandwiches to deliver to local disadvantaged people.

Nottingham Forest Community Trust, the charitable arm of Nottingham Forest FC, is one of many EFL Clubs working alongside local authorities and food charities to ensure that no one goes hungry in these difficult times. Speaking about making the one millionth food parcel delivery,

Ryan Yates of Nottingham Forest delivers the one millionth EFL food parcel to Sandie Gee – Husbands.

Ryan Yates said:

“It’s been a tough year for all of us, especially being separated from loved ones, but made harder for people struggling to put food on their table. At Nottingham Forest, we’ve been doing so much to help those in need – players and staff have been rolling up their sleeves and doing their bit in any way they can. It’s an inspiration to meet everyone today and deliver the one millionth food parcel on behalf of all of the Clubs in the EFL.”

Over 36.6million people live within a 10 mile radius of an EFL Club – a radius that encompasses one in four people falling in to the most deprived population. EFL’s community work has never been more important with already deprived communities now facing additional issues brought on by the pandemic.

EFL Chair, Rick Parry, said:

“One year ago this week, stadiums around the country shut down, signalling the start of an unprecedented year for the game – but off the pitch football has never gone away. Despite facing significant financial challenges in an uncertain economic landscape, all 72 EFL Clubs and Club Community Organisations stepped up to help frontline services without hesitation. I congratulate each and every one of them for the resilience and determination they have demonstrated by continuing to deliver vital community work – this has provided a lifeline for so many during the challenges of the last 12 months.”

EFL’s community response to COVID-19 – Key Numbers:  

  • Delivered one million food parcels, sandwiches and hot meals
  • Delivered over 179,000 items of PPE
  • Delivered more than 22,000 prescriptions
  • Had in excess of 526,000 outgoing and incoming conversations with fans and vulnerable people
  • Stadia is being used as mass vaccination and testing sites to support the NHS
  • Providing over 600 job opportunities for young unemployed people through the Kickstart programme
  • The EFL is spreading awareness about mental health support and provision through its On Your Side charity partnership with Mind

DEGREE STUDENTS HELP ALLIVATE FOOD POVERTY

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A group of  students studying our USW Foundation degree with Wolverhampton Wanderers have been part of the big team effort in supporting the Clubs Feed Our Pack initiative to try and help alleviate food poverty in their city.

Jeevan Kang, Richard Lewis, Taylor Sankey, Sofi Makarounas and Louis Guttridge spent a day during February half term as part of Feed Our Pack’s first major distribution of food parcels with over 1,500 meals delivered to families across the local community. The five students joined Foundation staff as well as Wolves captain Conor Coady and several Academy Under-18 players in what will prove valuable experience in studying for the degree in conjunction with the University of South Wales.

Jeevan Said

“As a student at Wolves Foundation I had the opportunity to join in and get involved and it was a really good experience. It was a really good day for a really good cause, helping children within the community who are struggling in terms of finance and food. I think as a human being the best thing you can do is give rather than take – the vulnerable need it more than we do. And it’s just that feeling you get again with giving, it’s just the best feeling you can have.”

Richard was equally positive about being able to do something to make a positive difference to the local community.

“I was brought up in Wolverhampton, and when I was at school this wasn’t around when my friends needed it, so being able to see that aspect is something I’m proud to be part of, We went out to deliver food parcels to the local children who are vulnerable and need it more during this time than they ever would with their parents not being able to get to work as much. Despite going through these troubled times, we’re still able to get some experience. With the Feed Our Pack project, going out and helping out the local community, is still giving us that aspect of learning and how things are run behind the scenes.”

Bradley Moore, Education Officer and course mentor at Wolves Foundation, was delighted that the students were able to play their part in such an important project.

“It was great to see the degree students so keen to help with Feed Our Pack and they were all a credit both to themselves and the course. The degree course is based around blended learning which means the lectures that would normally take place at Molineux are balanced with going out and gaining experience at the same time. That experience might include coaching, taking PE sessions at schools, learning sports management skills, or making a major contribution to other Foundation projects just like Feed Our Pack. It is almost like picking up three years of work experience at the same time of learning via lectures, and as a result the employability rate is really good for students to go into different jobs within football or sport education after they graduate.”

The degree in Football Coaching, Development and Administration is run in partnership with the EFL Trust and the University of South Wales, with large parts of the students’ timetables based at Molineux, along with work placements within the Foundation.

Jeevan adds

“This degree has a really good track record of getting people into full time roles within football and the sporting industry, And studying at Wolves is the best thing you could possibly think of. “You are studying the thing you love, which is football, but it is at a professional football club. So you know that you’re going to get the best support possible and you’re going to interact with the best coaches possible too. And the good thing about this course is, it’s not just straight on lectures and studying. “It’s basically three years of work experience which will really help you further progress into your career.”

Richard admits that even with certain restrictions in place because of the pandemic, the degree has functioned excellently and given students plenty of learning opportunities.

“It was quite worrying at the start, thinking that we would only be doing our lectures. But we have been able to get out there and challenge ourselves as students to see that we can go out and do good things in the community and show how we are as people and what we can do. That’s what makes this course stand out is the fact we can get a huge amount of experience by being part of the club!”

Anyone interested in finding out more about the Foundation’s degree course can register an interest by clicking here to complete and submitting an Expression of Interest form.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Four Generation Game – For Bristol City Ladies

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Four generations of women from one family are getting involved in football, thanks to Bristol City Robins Foundation’s innovative ‘F3’ project.

A lack of opportunity for girls to get involved in football was identified by three teenage members of the Robins Foundation’s Youth Council – a body of eight young people who use their in-depth knowledge of the local community to help shape the Foundation’s delivery. Youth Councilors, Lauren, Grace and Mel, came up with the idea of starting free football sessions specifically designed for women and girls, as a means to make the beautiful game more accessible to females. The trio wanted to ensure that the project was accessible to all and therefore setup three separate age specific sessions for females to attend, all of which take place simultaneously at the same venue.

The project has had a particular impact on one family with four generations of women – that’s daughter, mother, grandmother and great grandmother! – all regularly in attendance at the weekly sessions.

Ruby-Lee, the youngest of the four generations at 14 years old, was the first to start attending Free Female Fitness sessions (otherwise known as F3) four years ago. Ruby-Lee was one of the first participants to attend and has since flourished as a footballer, becoming more confident in not only her ability as a player but also in herself as an individual. She now not only takes part in the weekly sessions, but also plays for local girls’ team Stockwood Wanderers.

Word spread of the F3 project from Ruby-Lee to her mother, Alena, and grandmother, Mandy, and with some encouragement from Ruby Lee, three generations of the family all began taking part in the weekly sessions.

However, it did not stop there, as word further spread to Ruby-Lee’s grandmother, Diane, who also began attending the sessions some fifty years since having last played football.

Former Youth Councilor and current F3 coach, Grace Phillips, said,

“It’s great to see so many women and girls coming along to our sessions and getting involved, but to have four generations of one family all in attendance, really is something special. It exemplifies that football is a game for all. A lot of the girls use our sessions as a springboard to go on and get stuck into grassroots football, with many following Ruby-Lee’s example and joining local sides. This is great for the sport as a whole.”

Alena commented,

“I am really enjoying the sessions and am seeing improvements in both my fitness and health. Since starting F3, I have lost more than two and a half stone. “I am now also bringing my friends along to the sessions as well as my mum and gran.”

Diane, the eldest of the four generations, commented,

“it’s really nice to be getting active and playing sports again that I haven’t played for many years.“I’d say to anyone who is thinking of coming along, or to their grandparents, just come and enjoy yourselves.”

F3 has since been recognised on a national level with the project winning the FA Women’s Football Award for Best Participation Initiative.

Lioness skipper pays tribute to Foundation of Light

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Steph Houghton thanks Sunderland AFC’s official charity in role they played to kickstart her career.

Steph Houghton became a household name following her exploits in the 2012 Olympics, scoring three goals in Great Britain’s four games. However, the England skipper was already familiar to thousands across the north east, especially those in Sunderland, who had followed her progress with great interest after she kickstarted her career with her hometown club.

Steph joined a Foundation of Light soccer course during her school holidays and was spotted by a coach from Sunderland AFC and invited for a trial.

“It was during the Easter break,” Steph remembers. “I was scouted and joined the Centre of Excellence, where I was lucky enough to play for my hometown club.”

Steph, who now captains Manchester City and has 121 international caps to her name, credits SAFC’s official charity with many of the successes in her career and she’s quick to pay tribute to the career pathway that the Foundation programmes offer.

“The Foundation have played a huge part in everything have done in my career. They allowed me to learn the fundamentals of football, whether that was technical or tactical, but also the importance of having to work hard every day,” she added. “I’ve so many great memories of my time working with the Foundation and the coaches, I used to get so excited for Monday night training at the Raich Carter Centre or Downhill.

“I was so proud to be representing SAFC in tournaments against all the other teams in the country and testing myself against the best in the country. My biggest memory was being put forward to go on a trial for England.”

Steph is now familiar to millions, not just on the pitch but off it too, for her work with charitable organisations, but the 32-year-old remains humble and still keeps a close eye on what’s happening on Wearside, with the Foundation of Light recently announcing that they would be introducing a Women’s Scholarship team.

“I think it’s amazing that girls’ football has grown so much in the last decade. The fact that female scholarship programmes are over-subscribed only bodes well for the future of the game and also for Sunderland itself as a club!”

“The north east has always been passionate about football, to have so many players who I had grown up with, who had played for Sunderland competing in the 2019 World Cup was such an experience and such a proud moment for me, but no doubt the club and coaches too.”

Burton Albion’s Impact In in the Community is Worth Millions

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BURTON Albion Community Trust’s impact on the wellbeing of the people of East Staffordshire has never been more needed and an impact study has shown that when it really mattered the charity was there to help.

In any normal year, BACT’s reach into the community, its ability to help and motivate people and its position at the heart of the community is always there to be seen. But add in a pandemic that has had a serious impact on people’s physical and mental health, finances and employment prospects and that help was needed more than ever. Now, the evidence of an independent impact report has showcased all the good work BACT does. As well as supporting the NHS with the Pirelli Stadium acting as a vaccination centre, BACT has notched up more than 1,000 volunteer hours, delivered 4,147 care and activity packs, 752 emergency food parcels and even 23 weekly dog walks.That’s all in addition to BACT’s normal programmes, which reached 6,781 participants in 2019/20, including 4,603 schoolchildren. During the same period BACT’s direct economic impact was measured at £2.6m, £842,000 of which was through employment.

The numbers matter, but it’s the benefits felt by the participants that is BACT’s real reward. Whether that’s physical or mental wellbeing, individual or community development, BACT has delivered.

Head of Community Matt Hancock said: “Back in September 2019, we were excited about what we were going to achieve in the final year of our Inspiring our Communities strategy. The year started brilliantly, and you will see throughout the impact report the difference we have made largely thanks to the efforts of our fantastic staff.

“I am always proud of being involved in Burton Albion Community Trust but from March 2020 onwards I have never been prouder of our achievements. The Board of Trustees, led by John Jackson, and Chairman of the Football Club, Ben Robinson, have completely embedded Burton Albion into the community response when our communities really needed us.

“The pandemic has caused much distress, upset and pain for so many people across our communities but the way both BACT and Burton Albion FC responded from day one has made a huge difference to lives across East Staffordshire and the surrounding areas.”

BACT’S Chairman John Jackson is delighted that the impact report shows just how important the charity is to the area.

He said: “It is with great pride we are able to evidence through this report that, despite the devastating impact of Covid-19, we are making a difference in our communities. This report is external evidence that our programmes do change lives and although many programmes were adapted to respond to the rapidly changing circumstances, we have maintained a focus of high quality throughout.”

The report was compiled by EventID Sports Consulting Ltd on behalf of Burton Albion Community Trust. Read the full report here

Louise Williams: The EFL Trust is proud to be part of tackling the nation’s obesity crisis

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We know that in the UK, 63% of adults are overweight and that countries with high levels of overweight people, such as the UK, have seen the highest death rates from COVID-19 and we are encouraged to hear the announcement that the Government will be investing £100 million into tackling obesity and supporting people to lose weight.

The last 12 months have been a difficult time for those who are overweight. The emerging evidence that obesity and excess weight is a major risk factor of serious illness or death from COVID-19 while many weight management services were forced to stop, gyms and leisure facilities closed, and community support facilities temporarily paused has created an ongoing issue for individuals, local communities and the NHS.

At the EFL Trust, we recognise this and as part of our ‘Stronger, Healthier, More Active Communities’ strategy we pledge to support people to adopt a healthy lifestyle, access the support they need, and enhance the quality of life for those living with health conditions such as obesity and obesity-related conditions like Type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

One of the ways we are currently achieving this is through our EFT Trust FIT FANS Programme. Currently being delivered across almost half of the EFL Trust network, FIT FANS uses interest in football to attract adults aged 35-65 to a 13-week healthy lifestyle programme delivered by coaching staff at their local professional football club charity. Despite the disruption of the past 12 months, we have seen some staggering outcomes in terms of improvements in weight loss, physical activity, diet and psychological wellbeing.

  • Over 1,600 individuals have accessed the programme
  • Average weight loss for males in our first cohort was 6.2kg with 17% moving to the BMI weight classification below, significantly reducing their risk of obesity related conditions
  • These results were also reflected in the female cohort where we see 24% achieve a clinically significant weight loss of at least 5% of their starting weight
  • Inactivity in males shifted from 42% to 15% and in females from 47% to just 13%.

It is an aspiration of the EFL Trust to see this programme delivered across the whole of our network, which will enable us to reach millions of people who would benefit from making a positive change towards a healthier lifestyle and decreasing their risk of poor health and in turn reducing the burden on our NHS and health services.

The next cohorts of FIT FANS is due to commence this spring, to find out if your local club is involved or to find out more about the programme please visit https://www.efltrust.com/fitfans/

 

Football Clubs Support COVID Vaccination and Testing Programmes

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Throughout the COVID pandemic Football Clubs and their charities have continued to support their communities, making 940,000 food deliveries to those in need, tackling loneliness by making over 280,000 calls and doing thousands of garden gate visits.

 Over the past few weeks, there has been an increase in the number of EFL Club stadia and community venues being used as vital COVID-19 vaccination centres, testing sites and training hubs, as part of the League’s ongoing commitment to supporting the NHS in the fight against coronavirus.

Mike Evans, CEO of the EFL Trust comments,

“We are so proud of how EFL Clubs and our network of Club Community Organisations are, once again, stepping up to help their communities however they can. We have football stadiums and community facilities being used for testing and vaccinations, staff conducting COVID tests, marshalling car parks at vaccination and testing centres, arranging appointments and transporting vulnerable people to get their vital vaccinations. These are all activities that they weren’t previously trained to do, but they have adapted impressively and are providing the services that their communities now need.”

Clubs including Plymouth Argyle, Bristol City, Oxford United, Huddersfield Town and Colchester United to name but a few, have transformed their stadiums into NHS vaccination centres, delivering immunisations to key workers and some of the most vulnerable people living in our local communities.

Organisations like St John Ambulance are also making use of the large open-spaced facilities at EFL stadiums, to train volunteers to assist in the vaccination programme. Since the start of the year, Stevenage FC has welcomed more than 30,000 local people to participate in the St John Ambulance training.

With so many EFL Clubs situated at the heart of their community, their stadiums have already played an important role since the pandemic began in providing easy access to COVID-19 testing for those living locally, with drive-through and walk-in testing sites in place at Charlton Athletic, Burton Albion, Bristol City, Swindon Town, Blackburn Rovers, Doncaster Rovers and Preston North End to name but a few.

Staff from various EFL Clubs and their Club Community Organisations have also received relevant training to support with the testing and vaccination programme – from carrying out COVID-19 testing to assisting with the transportation of local residents to vaccination sites.

Here are some examples of what is going at Clubs in our EFL communities around the county:

 Charlton Athletic: Charlton Athletic Community Trust’s health team is working in partnership with the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s public health team to run a Community hub which is responsible for co-ordinating a huge range of COVID response services. This includes lateral flow testing, with the Trust responsible for the co-ordination, management and delivery of two testing sites in Greenwich where many thousands of tests have been conducted so far.

The Hub is also heavily involved in the vaccination effort, supporting the bookings of vaccinations in Greenwich and arranging transport for vulnerable older residents to attend their vaccinations.

 Burton Albion: The Pirelli stadium has been running a drive through testing programme since April 2020. This was predominately swab testing key workers who have displayed COVID symptoms or who live in a household where someone has symptoms. In November the Stadium started to be used for the lateral flow testing that helps establish how embedded the virus is in the community. Recently staff from both the Football Club and Community Trust have completed training to permit in-house lateral flow testing at the Pirelli Stadium.

The Trust is also managing the coordination of staff and volunteers involved in the vaccine roll out for residents of East Staffordshire alongside NHS and Public Health staff. Over 20,000 doses have already been given out as part of this programme, which is set to continue until at least the end of March 2021.

Peterborough United: Peterborough United’s Foundation have been supporting local residents and GPs with the vaccination roll out. The Foundation staff have been transporting local residents to and from vaccinations and are providing staff to help marshal car parks, handing out relevant leaflets and assisting in the vaccination recovery areas to ensure patients are waiting the required 15 minutes post vaccine as a safety measure. Staff are now fully trained to support and carry out testing as and when required.

Nottingham Forest: Forest’s Community Trust have been providing staff to support the coordination and operations of two vaccination centres. In January, these staff provided over 60 hours of volunteering which will rise to 144 hours this month.

Bristol City: Since the start of the lockdown back in March 2020, there has been a mobile COVID testing centre set up at Ashton Gate Stadium. More recently the Stadium has become one the first seven vaccination hubs across the UK and had distributed more than 20,000 vaccinations since it was set up in January.

 Swindon Town: Foundation Park, Swindon Town Community Foundation’s facility, was brought into operation as the first asymptomatic testing centre in Swindon.

 Blackburn Rovers: Blackburn Rovers Community Trust have transformed the Darwen End Stand of the Ewood Park stadium into a Community COVID testing hub and are running a Rapid SMART testing centre. Operated by trained staff from Blackburn Rovers Community Trust, local residents can visit the community hub testing centre, with no appointment necessary.

Doncaster Rovers: One side of Doncaster Rovers stadium has become an NHS test site for pre-op patients. This takes them away from hospital and therefore relieves pressure on the NHS. The other side of the stadium is being used is a COVID vaccination centre. Club Doncaster Foundation is heavily involved in coordinating the recruitment of volunteers for the effort in partnership with other local organisations.

 Preston North End: PNE’s Community Education Trust are supporting the City Council’s testing programme. Both Club and Trust staff have been trained by the military to undertake the lateral flow test. This will enable the testing site in the City Centre, which is designed to provide the test for employees of essential businesses who are still operating, to remain operational in the coming weeks when the military are going to be stepping back from their involvement.

Tranmere Rovers: Tranmere Rovers work closely with Wirral Council and has been part of a humanitarian approach to COVID-19. The Club has continuously been a testing site when required since September 2020 and has also provided trained stewards to the testing sites and emergency food hubs when the council did not have the required staff in terms of qualifications, experience and volume.

Colchester United: At Colchester United, Club and CCO are working side by side, but in different ways to support the vaccination effort. Vaccinations are taking place at Colchester United’s Jobserve Community Stadium, whilst as part of the community organisation’s outreach work, CCO staff are volunteering at the local primary care centre supporting the vaccinations effort.

 

Football Club Community organisations expand Coronavirus community care thanks to Barclays Donation

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EFL Football Clubs in Portsmouth, Middlesbrough, Sunderland and Nottingham have been awarded a collective £400,000 from Barclays to feed hungry people, combat loneliness and ensure that these vital services continue to be available as we eventually move out of the pandemic.

The Football Club Community Organisations are amongst 100 UK charities to be awarded a £100k donation from the ‘Barclays Community Aid Fund’, designed to support COVID-19 relief work in local communities. The programme, which forms part of their wider COVID-19 Community Aid Package, focuses on supporting UK charity partners who are meeting the immediate needs of people in communities, including low income families, those facing financial hardship, isolated elderly people and key workers.

The 100k donation has allowed Pompey in the Community to continue its co-ordination of food deliveries for the vulnerable, isolated and needy.  To date more than 4,600 people have benefited from their food parcel deliveries.  In addition, the funding will allow the charity to enhance its socially distanced activities such as ‘pop up’ afternoon tea, hot meal deliveries and interactive Zoom sessions, which will not only support the charity’s immediate response but ensure projects become embedded and will continue in the future.

Clare Martin, Director of Community Projects at Pompey in the Community, said: “This funding has really supported us in providing the city such a vital and impactful service during the Pandemic. Our provision is continually developing in direct response to the needs of the city and the continually evolving situation. It’s been a real privilege to be able to support so many people.”

The donation to MFC Foundation will be used to fund the continuation of its work of distributing food parcels to those who need it most at this time. Working with the Food Poverty Partnership, the Foundation will also ensure that the funds are used to enhance sustainable food options in Tees Valley for the foreseeable future, ensuring that there are accessible and affordable options available for local people.

Helena Bowman, Head of MFC Foundation said: “This is a significant investment for MFC Foundation and will make a huge difference to individuals in our community who, unfortunately, are in a position where they require support with food. We will ensure that this funding is used to sustain a long-term impact.”

In Sunderland, the funding will support the award-winning community charity to connect with 5,000 households in Sunderland, South Tyneside and County Durham over four months who are facing, or who are already experiencing these challenges. Thousands of care packages will be created to include food packages and resources for families/individuals experiencing financial strain, including access to free online cooking courses to teach them how to cook healthy meals on a budget, as well as access to free weekly challenges to encourage people to stay active whilst staying safe.

Foundation of Light Chief Executive, Lesley Spuhler OBE said, “Our region has some of the poorest communities in the country. Since the crisis hit in March, we have been working incredibly hard to support some the most vulnerable and ensure we can keep them physically and mentally active. It is absolutely imperative that we continue to help those who most in need; not only those in deprived areas who are facing an incredibly tough winter, but also those who have found themselves financially insecure as a direct result of the COVID-19 crisis.”

Nottingham Forest were delighted to receive the significant donation, which enabled them to transform the level of strategic support they have been able to provide for the people in their local community with the greatest need, including major healthy food provision for children, families living in temporary local authority accommodation and vulnerable people of all ages who have been in need of regular food supplies and essential household items throughout this emergency period.

Graham Moran CEO, Nottingham Forest Community Trust said, “The Barclays donation allowed us to focus resources and services where they were needed most and played a vital role in support of the amazing private, statutory and third sector response to the Covid-19 emergency across Nottingham.”

Nigel Higgins, Barclays Chairman, said: “COVID has created an unprecedented social and economic impact in the UK, with many experiencing greater hardship due to the crisis. Incredible charities, such as these Football Club Community Organisations, have been playing a vital role in the UK’s response to the pandemic, ensuring urgent help reaches those most in need of support. As a bank we have been doing all we can for our customers, clients and colleagues, and we hope that by partnering with these organisations and many other charities across the UK, collectively we can ensure that as many people as possible in the communities in which we live and work are supported through this crisis.”

How Foundation 92 has helped Aiden take the next steps in his career despite the pandemic…

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By his own admission, Aiden was in a difficult position during his education. Mixing in the wrong circles and being involved in anti-social behaviour, he became disengaged within his career. After dropping out of college and with the impact of the Coronavirus pandemic, his prospects became bleak.

“During COVID, there was absolutely no opportunities for me,” Aiden said. However, after realising his passion lay with sports coaching, he was introduced to the Foundation’s Traineeship Programme – an education course to improve the employability skills of young people throughout Salford and the whole of Greater Manchester. “I got the opportunity here at Foundation 92; I’ve always wanted to work in sport and help people.”

Throughout the 12-week programme, Aiden discovered a newfound passion for youth work and in particular the Foundation’s one-to-one mentoring course for young people living with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). After developing his key skills, Aiden will now be beginning his full-time role as education assistant at Foundation 92, kick-starting his career within the industry.

“The work placements in particular have given me a chance to enhance my skills, such as teamwork and communication. My confidence has shot through the roof and it’s given me the chance to learn new skills and even meet new people, so it’s benefitted me a lot.

“I’ve always wanted to work with and help people through sport, so I feel like I can progress from education assistant to maybe running my own classroom in a few years, so I feel like I’m in a very good position.”