Young people put a smile on elderly people’s faces

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A group of 13 young people recently set out on a project to spread cheer and share essential supplies to their community. 

The project was spearheaded by young people on NCS with Port Vale Foundation. NCS is an experience designed for 16–17-year-olds where they are given a taste of independence, forge new relationships, take on exciting challenges and also working on social action projects to benefit their local communities. 

They  chose to keep their social action project local to home as most of the group are Port Vale fans and so felt passionately raising money for Port Vale Foundation’s ‘Community Cupboard’. The Community Cupboard is an initiative to help people struggling with food poverty within the Stoke on Trent community providing a welcomed support of vital supplies throughout the year for people in need. 

To keep the cupboard up and running, the group raised money at one of Port Vale’s ‘Golden Valiant’s’ sessions. Golden Valiants is part of EFL Trust’s Extra Time Hubs programmes and is aimed to tackle loneliness in elderly people.   

Young met old as the group hosted a Golden Valiants session and hosted a variety of fun and exciting activities, such as a quiz, bake sale, tombola, as well as bonding with the elderly over some hot beverages. The event put a smile on everyone that attended, with elderly people stating their personal enjoyment on bonding with the younger generation.  

The fundraising at Golden Valiants resulted in raising over £200 worth of supplies for the community cupboard. This included young people buying essential food items such as milk, pasta, soups, meat and many others. 

The legacy of the project has already been felt within the local community, with elderly people at Golden Valiants expressing their gratitude for the young people that hosted the event.  

Sadie Haynes, Community Project Co-ordinator AT Port Vale Foundation had the following to say about the project: 

“A huge thankyou to the NCS young people who fundraised for our Community Cupboard, the food that was donated from the monies raised will go a long way in supporting the families in our community who need that support.”  

Click here to find out more about NCS. 

Unlocking the England pathway with the EFL Trust’s Talent Inclusion Programme

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England take on Sweden tonight in the UEFA Women’s EURO Semi-Final at Sheffield United’s Bramall Lane. And, with silverware up for grabs, the Lionesses are leading the way for the next generation.

The pathway for the next generation is something our very own Talent Inclusion Programme Manager, Nicol Merdith has helped to facilitate with huge passion and drive stemming from her own experiences.

As a child, Nicol had to overcome more hurdles than most to fulfil her dreams.

Her first pair of football boots, an unwanted “scraggy old pair”, poached from the doorstep of a house on her paper round route, lay untouched for 10 years after certain barriers prevented her from making use of them.

But the EFL Trust’s Women’s Talent ID Project Officer’s own pathway into the sport gave her life a new meaning.

“I couldn’t afford a pair of football boots and my family didn’t have a lot of money to support me in playing,” she said. “Aged 11, I started playing for a football team and was told, ‘if you don’t pay your subs, you can’t play’, and I didn’t play again until I was 21.

“When this job came up three years ago, it really tugged on the heartstrings for me because I really understood it. It inspired me to want to make change because I, more than anyone, want to see kids from deprived communities playing for England one day.”

Back in 2019, the EFL Trust teamed up with the FA to form the Talent Inclusion Programme, starting off with a total of 10 Club Community Organisations (CCOs). After reopening the network two years later, the initiative now boasts the involvement of 34 CCOs.

“The ultimate aim is to get every eligible English CCO on the programme,” she noted. “We work with CCOs and the staff at Clubs to teach them about what talent is and what raw talent looks like, so that rough diamond that you just picked up off an estate session and what characteristics you should look for and how to support and nurture them players.

“As part of it, we embed a referral process to the FA within the communities. We don’t want to take these kids out of their environments where they’re comfortable and they thrive – we want to keep them there and have that long-term development.”

 

Last year, 123 players were referred from community environments – uncovered on outreach sessions, development centres, Kicks programmes and school projects, with a lack of access to high quality coaching.

Now, 22% of them have made it onto the monitor list which is internally known as the emerging talent list.

“We’ve got a player in Rotherham at the minute, and she lives in one of the top 10% most deprived local authorities,” she explained. “She was found on a Kicks session at an outreach session, and she’s now been monitored by the FA. It’s amazing. She’s had no investment over the years but now she’s finally getting her turn.

“When you’re taking a kid from a council estate and saying to her, ‘you’re really talented,’ you’ll probably be the first person that’s ever said that to her. At the end of the day, it’s not about any of us at the EFL Trust or the FA or the CCO, it’s all about that young girl.

“You look at a club like Rochdale and there’s a lot of mosques in Rochdale, but the doors have never been knocked on and girls are not getting the opportunity to play football. How on earth can we find talent if they’ve never played? We want to start embedding the opportunity to play football for the first time.”

“For us, we see that talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t,” Meredith added. “Originally, to be into the England talent pathways, you had to be in the regional talent club, but the FA have scrapped that now; kids can be referred from any environment no matter what their background is. We’re trying to address this issue through the programme, and we’ve been doing that for three years now.

“If you can see it, you can believe it, and we’re giving that opportunity now. Kids are thinking, ‘I want to play in front of 70,000 people for my country.’ These kids now are seeing girls that have come from years of development to then playing on a world stage. That’s the amazing thing.”

 

 

FA GIRLS’ EMERGING TALENT CENTRES TO PROVIDE GREATER ACCESSIBILITY TO THE PLAYER PATHWAY 

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The Football Association [The FA] can today confirm the first 60 Girls’ Emerging Talent Centre [ETC] licences have been allocated, which will see the number of young female players engaged in FA programmes across the country rise from 1,722 to over 4,200 by the end of the 2023-24 season.

These numbers also present a 59% increase based on the actual number of FA programmes, going from 39 programmes to 60, enabling greater access for players across the country.

Thanks to funding from the Premier League, The FA recently unveiled plans to grow its existing talent programme for women’s football with the introduction of up to 70 Girls’ ETCs, aiming to sustain its future and provide a wider and more diverse talent pool for the game. Today’s announcement shows positive progress has already been made.

The national network of Girls’ ETCs will be aimed at girls aged eight to 16. The new Centres will operate for at least 30 weeks per season and will commence from September 2022. The Centres will be underpinned by five key areas:

  1. Better accessibility
  2. More inclusivity
  3. Reducing the impact of early selection
  4. More focused investment
  5. Providing more appropriate challenges

Earlier this year, the Premier League confirmed it will provide £1.75 million per annum for the next three years to support the new network of Girls’ ETCs.

Kay Cossington, The FA’s Head of Women’s Technical, said: “Our key aims are to provide greater access for more players whilst diversifying the talent pool, and I am delighted that the early signs show that we are well on track to achieve those aims.We are extremely excited to be working alongside such a diverse  group of clubs and organisations, which will help us identify players for the future, including future England Lionesses.”

 

Premier League Chief Football Officer, Tony Scholes said: “The Premier League and our clubs are committed to developing football at all levels and it is important that girls across the country have greater opportunities to progress in the game. We are pleased to have provided the funding which will significantly enhance the pathways for young female footballers, and it is great to see the first licences allocated for the new Emerging Talent Centres.”

Licences were allocated on a regional basis allowing for greater geographical coverage, whilst providing greater accessibility for a larger pool of players.

The full breakdown of confirmed licences can be found below:

 

North East Yorkshire North West
Durham Women FCBarnsley Women FCBlackburn Rovers Ladies FC
Newcastle United FoundationBradford City Community FoundationBlackpool FC Community Trust
Sunderland Foundation  of LightDoncaster Rovers Belles FCChester FC Community Trust
Teesside UniversityHull City Ladies FCCrewe Alexandra in the Community
York City FoundationLeeds United FoundationEverton Women FC
Lincoln City FoundationLiverpool FC Women
Rotherham United Community Sports TrustManchester City in the Community
Sheffield United FCManchester United Foundation
Preston North End Community and Education Trust

 

Midlands East London
Aston Villa Women FCBedfordshire County FAArsenal Women FC
Birmingham City Women FCColchester United Community Sports TrustBrentford Community Sports Trust
Burton Albion Community TrustCambridge United FCCharlton Athletic Women FC
Derby County Community TrustIpswich Town FCChelsea FC Women
Shrewsbury Town Football in the CommunityMilton Keynes Dons Sport and Education TrustLeyton Orient Trust
Stoke City Community TrustNorthampton Town Community TrustTottenham Hotspur Women FC
West Bromwich Albion Women FCNorwich City Community Sports FoundationWest Ham United Foundation
Peterborough United FC
Stevenage FC Foundation
Watford FC Community Sports and Education Trust

 

 

South East South West
AFC Bournemouth Community Sports TrustBristol City Women FC
Brighton and Hove Albion FCCornwall County FA
Kent County Football AssociationDevon County FA
Oxford United FCDorset County FA
Reading Women FCForest Green Rovers FC
Southampton FCPlymouth Argyle Community Trust
Somerset County FA
Swindon Town FC Community Foundation

In addition to those licences already confirmed, The FA will be staging a second invitational application window for eligible clubs and organisations in targeted areas to further support the aim of greater geographical coverage and access.

Talent Inclusion Programme with Stoke City provides participants with the opportunity to play regular football.

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As England progress to the last four of the European Championships after beating Spain in extra-time last night, we take a look a how our Talent Inclusion programme is helping girls, regardless of their background to become the next generation of Lionesses.

The Talent Inclusion programme ensures that through existing community activities, female participants with potential can be identified and referred to the FA England Women’s Talent Pathway. The programme is specifically run by EFL Club Community Organisations, who engage with young girls from low social economic communities and underrepresented groups, and looks to refer talented players who may not access traditional talent pathways due to social class, ethnicity and demographic.Stoke City Community Trust have been one of 34 EFL Club Community Organisations (CCOs) running the EFL Talent Inclusion Programme.

Stoke-on-Trent is characterised by high levels of deprivation. The Indices of Multiple Deprivation 2019 rank Stoke-on-Trent as the 13th most deprived local authority (out of 317) in England. Over half of areas in Stoke-on-Trent (51%) are classified among the most deprived 20% in England, and approximately one-third of areas (32%) fall in to the most deprived 10%.

As we don’t wish to stigmatize anyone because of where they live, we have kept this story anonymous.

Football once was associated with negative emotions for this participant that would often surface as anger however it has now become an important part of her life allowing her a release from life.

The participant lives within Stoke-on-Trent among the 10% most deprived areas and without the Talent Inclusion Programme she would not have been able to access the beautiful game.

She has recently lost her step-dad who she had a very positive relationship with and is still dealing with the grief and emotions that arises, something football has aided her with.  As well as emotionally allowing her to escape and express herself, football has developed the participant socially too mixing with a variety of people through the sessions Stoke facilitate.

Having first had contact with the participant since they started secondary school, Stoke were immediately able to identify the potential of the individual and invited her along to a Kicks Development Centre where she made the decision to pursue finding a team. At the request of her mum and PE teachers, Lucy (Stoke’s Girls and Women’s Football Officer) was able to direct the participant to a local club so that she was able to play regularly outside of the school setting and in a girls only environment alongside the mixed sessions. The participant was able contact a local grassroots club who invited her to training and she was officially be part of the squad from September 2022.

The experience playing with and against boys has meant the participant has strengthen her social skills as well as her footballing ability. Lucy, explained: “The boys really make an effort with her and that through strengthening her relationships with them she has been able to develop her footballing skills. She can now make decisions quicker as her technical ability has improved and she is much more physical now. I thoroughly enjoy watching her compete and enjoy herself.”

Nicol Meredith Project Manager of the Talent Inclusion Programme, comments, “This story is very typical of the type girl that the programme can help and one of 54% across the country that have so far been referred on the FA talent pathway by our CCOs. We know that talent is everywhere but unfortunately the opportunity isn’t.”

To find out more about the Talent Inclusion Programme visit: https://www.efltrust.com/talent-inclusion.

 

 

Young people host refugee event at Loftus Road

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A group of young people on NCS, launched a project this summer to provide some cheer for refugees raising £285. The young people, who were with QPR Community Trust, had the opportunity to make a positive difference within their community through their NCS experience.

NCS is designed for 16–17-year-olds and during their experience they are given a taste of independence, as they mix with new people, taking on exciting challenges and also working on projects to benefit their local communities.

The young people ran an event for a group of local refugees, which was held at QPR’s Loftus Road Stadium. One of the group members, Mohammed, was a refugee himself and was passionate about supporting other refugees within the community. The group felt inspired by Mohammed’s story and so got to work on a project.

The group contacted refugee charity ‘Care for Calais’ and discussed their idea of hosting an event at QPR, involving tours and fun activities for the refugees. On the day of the event at Loftus Road, over 40 people attended and were enthused by the passion shown by the young people, in attempting to provide some cheer.

Families and young children has an evening of fun games, activities and were also shown around Loftus Road. Due to the success of the evening, the group, alongside QPR and ‘Care for Calais’ are now lookign to arrange further events to engage more refugees in the local area.

Mohammed talked to us about the project:

“We needed to help the community, to try to understand how to help people and to make a better society. It was really wonderful and enjoyable to organise the event at Loftus Road, because we made other people happy.

“I enjoyed meeting new people and their children, communicating with them and put smiles on their faces.

Mohammed has felt the positive impact his NCS experience has had upon him whilst working on his refugee social action project at QPR:

“NCS was the best experience I ever had, it was such a great time to meet new friends, to do so many activities and to learn so much. NCS has helped me improve my own skills, such as communication and it has shown me how to talk confidently. I would love to do NCS all over again.”

Not stopping there, the young people launched a Go Fund Me page, raising £285. The money raised was used to provide goodie bags to give out to each refugee attending, containing toys, games, QPR merchandise, food and drinks.

Savannah Pacey was one of the young people involved within the project, she had this to say;

“This was such a rewarding experience for us. We were able to spend an evening with a group of people who we wouldn’t normally have contact with. To hear their stories and see the smiles on the children’s faces was just incredible.

“It has been such an incredible experience. I’ve loved every minute, from the activities in the first week, to the social action project it has just been so rewarding. On top of that I’ve made some great friends too!

“I feel more confident now to go out in the world and challenge myself!”

Click here to find out more about NCS.

Talent Inclusion Programme with Accrington Stanley gives Freya the self-confidence to succeed

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Freya was a young girl with a natural talent for football that was evident to everyone around her – but not to herself. When she first started playing, Freya was low in self-belief and was shy and reserved when participating in group sessions. However, after being part of the EFL Talent Inclusion Programme with Accrington Stanley Freya is a different girl, she has come out of her shell with an abundance of confidence.

Accrington Stanley Community Trust has been one of 34 EFL Club Community Organisations running the EFL Talent Inclusion Programme.

The Talent Inclusion programme ensures that through existing community activities, talented female participants can be identified and referred to the FA England Women’s Talent Pathway.

Kerry Reeves from Accrington Stanley Community Trust states: “This programme has provided  an incredible opportunity for local girls who would not usually access the Women’s England Talent Pathways due to many barriers they may face. Thanks to the FA, we received a small grant to host a number of talent ID days for girls within Accrington, which has given them access and opportunity to progress.

Freya currently plays for Accrington Stanley and is a pupil at Hollins High School and in both settings, she strives to be the best version of herself. However, this has not always been the case.

She started her journey at Accrington Stanley through their Wildcats sessions where she was a shy, reserved member of the group with a depth of talent that she lacked confidence in.

But as she progressed to Accrington Stanley’s age group sides Freya began to develop a self-confidence that hadn’t been shown before with credit to the coaches for offering her reassurance when she needed it. Consequently, Freya not only possesses great footballing talent but is also a role model for those around her as she has the desire and commitment to constantly improve herself. Her effect has not only been on her teammates but her brother and sister who have followed in her footsteps in playing football.

Nicola Smith, Freya’s Mother, stated “The talent events held have been amazing. Freya has met new friends and her confidence is soaring after being referred to a FA Discover My Talent Event . Freya now has more confidence in her footballing abilities, and she is willing to continue working hard to achieve her dreams.”

Football and the opportunities provided through Accrington Stanley Community Trust and the Talent Inclusion Programme has seen Freya grow both on and off the pitch.

Talent Inclusion Programme with Tranmere provides Grace with the desire to push herself further

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Tranmere Rovers in the Community have been one of 34 EFL Club Community Organisations running the EFL Talent Inclusion Programme.

The Talent Inclusion programme ensures that through existing community activities, female participants can be identified and referred to the FA England Women’s Talent Pathway.

Grace first attended a development centre with Tranmere at just 6 years old before being signed to the U10 team. The talent she possesses is not short of being a common occurrence in her family with six siblings who possess gifted and talented skillsets in various projects and sports at their schools.

Grace’s ability has seen her noticed and approached by various Regional Talent Centres, which was traditionally considered one of the first steps on the pathway to representing your country and elite performance. However, this would require huge sacrifice and commitment to attend training four times per week and travel the length and breadth of the country to attend fixtures at the weekend- something which Grace’s personal circumstances mean she was unable to pursue. Although Grace was unable to uptake such opportunities, she remains focused, dedicated, and determined to succeed and improve week in, and week out. This characteristic hails from her family who despite the complications they face strive to provide every opportunity possible for their children.

However, the introduction of the EFL Trust Talent Inclusion Programme at Tranmere changed things for Grace and has opened up a potential route to the England Team.

Grace was referred to the Talent Inclusion Programme and observed by The FA. Although Grace was initially disappointed that she did not initially progress to the next stage, however, the experience has fuelled her further to improve and ensure she gets another opportunity, which as she knows she is still being monitored is now a real possibility.

Alexis Lunn-Gadd, Women’s Talent Pathway Operations Manager at The FA explained: “Regardless of a players background or personal circumstances our aim is to create an accessible and inclusive FA Women’s England Talent pathway that enables players to have opportunities to show their talent in environments they are comfortable in. The EFL Talent Inclusion Programme creates these local opportunities and we are really proud of the work the CCO’s are delivering at a local level to help us unearth a future lioness.”

Being a very talented footballer, Grace was encouraged to also find a boys’ team to play in that was easily accessible and, on her doorstep, to allow her and her parents to juggle the commitments of her other siblings as well their working lives.

Grace explained: “Tranmere have always been good to me, and I feel like without them I still wouldn’t have the confidence or support to even be in a team so I owe a lot to them. I have always loved football and play with my brothers and sisters as soon as I get home from school. Having the opportunity to be put forward on an England pathway has been something I never thought could happen to someone like me, from where I am from. I am excited to see how far I can go with football and maybe I can have my chance to progress again.”

Louise Edwards, Head of Girls & Women’s development said, “This project is something we are really passionate about. We strongly believe that all girls regardless of their privileges or positions in society deserve the right to showcase the talent they may have, and share the same opportunities other girls have in different areas or circumstances to them.”

Claire, Grace’s mother said: “Having this opportunity has really given Grace the drive and determination to do more and want to better herself and I really feel she will go far if she continues with this attitude and the support from everyone at Tranmere.”

TIP Project Manager Nicol Meredith said “there have been big changes at the FA over the years, and talented girls like Grace, can be referred to the FA Women’s Talent Pathway, no matter what playing environment they sit in,

This opens up the door and allows us to cast the net further to unearth that hidden talent within community environments.

Tranmere Rovers are an excellent community organisation and I know they will continue to work with players like Grace and provide them inclusive and accessible opportunities.

To find out more about the Talent Inclusion Programme visit: https://www.efltrust.com/talent-inclusion.

 

 

 

AFC Bournemouth help Tilly realise her potential through the EFL Talent Inclusion programme.

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As the European Championships kick off in England, the Lionesses head into the tournament on home soil as one of the favourites.  We look at how the Talent Inclusion Programme is helping girls, regardless of their background, join the pathway to become a future Lioness and emulate their heroes; Ella Toone, Mary Earps, Ellen White and Keira Walsh.

So whilst we look forward to celebrating our current Lionesses tonight as they take on Austria at Old Trafford in front of a sell-out crowd, let’s also look to the future of England Women’s National team.

AFC Bournemouth Community Sports Trust have been one of 34 EFL Club Community Organisations running the EFL Talent Inclusion Programme.

The Talent Inclusion programme ensures that through existing community activities, female participants can be identified and referred to the FA England Women’s Talent Pathway.

Identified through the programme was Tilly. Initially picked up through the Premier League Primary Stars programme when her then primary school, Talbot Primary took part in a local school’s tournament, Tilly went on to progress to the AFC Bournemouth Under 12 girls’ team for the 2021/22 season.

Having previously played for a mixed gender team where she earned the respect and admiration of the boys and their parents alike. As Tilly’s father, Daryl explained: “Some of the lads didn’t want to give her the ball initially as she was a girl, so she quickly had to learn to be strong and to hold her own amongst the group and earn their respect.”

Tilly moved into playing girls only football, training twice a week and playing regular fixtures in the Hampshire Girls Youth Football League, who won both the league and cup last season.

Tilly was referred to the Talent Inclusion Programme and observed by the FA, as a result, she is now being monitored as part of the FA Women’s England Talent Pathway which is part of the process for considering players for England Youth Teams.

Tilly’s love for AFC Bournemouth and the opportunities it has provided her transcends into her future aspirations. She explains: “I am a very focused and driven person and just want to get better each game/training session. I would love to work my way up into the women’s first team at AFC Bournemouth and to keep improving each season!”

Head of Community Steve Cuss, and AFC Bournemouth Women’s Manager Steve Cuss, commented, “Providing the right opportunity for players at the right time  is vitally important, and through our community sessions we are able to identify players to join talent pathways to reach their potential.”

“Tilly is one of those players who we have identified, and we are delighted to be able to offer her the opportunity to join the FA England Women’s Talent Pathway and look forward to monitoring her progression.”

Talent Inclusion Programme Manager, Nicol Meredith said “ AFC Bournemouth have really supported the programme this year, ensuring inclusive and accessible opportunities are made available to every girl who possesses potential.

It’s been a season to celebrate success, in total 123 talented girls were referred to the programme, with 19% now being monitored by the FA, these are girls who are extremely talented and those who could well be on their way in putting on that England shirt one day.

The CCOs have that connection with communities where they engage low social economic groups and under-represented communities , as a result 53% of participants referred were from deprived communities and 16% from ethnically diverse background, this just shows the reach our network has, to provide opportunities that are inclusive and accessible.

We are really proud to say 100% of all referred players are from community environments, which shows TALENT IS EVERYWHERE, OPPORTUNITY ISNT!”

To find out more about the Talent Inclusion Programme visit https://www.efltrust.com/talent-inclusion.