Cathy Abraham Steps into CEO role and sees Derby County’s work in action

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The EFL Trust Board has appointed Cathy Abraham as CEO of the EFL Trust, for an interim period.

Cathy has been part of the EFL Trust senior team for 5 years and previously held the position of Director of Operations. Cathy has extensive knowledge of the operations, strategy and values of the EFL Trust.

Liam Scully, EFL Trust Chair said,

“We are delighted that Cathy will be taking on this role as we begin to develop the organisation’s strategy for 2025 and beyond. Our network continues growing from strength to strength and responds not only strategically, but also quickly and tactically to the needs of EFL communities.

Cathy said,

“This is a very exciting time for the EFL Trust, and we look forward to continuing to develop our organisation so that we can effectively support our incredible network and the amazing work it achieves in EFL communities.

This week, we have launched our latest Impact Report, that shows that EFL Clubs generated social value of over £865million last season. With over 840,000 participants involved in community activities, we know how important out Clubs are to the communities they serve.”

As part of EFL’s Week of Action, Cathy visited Derby County who were showcasing Harrison’s Hub, a new dedicated warm space for the community at Pride Park Stadium. Theare many different activities taking place in the hub, from Team Talk – their men’s mental health project, to Extra Time Hub, a fortnightly coffee morning for over 55s to decrease social isolation. The hub opened its doors in November 2022, with key activities being delivered as part of the Rams Family Support project, centred around the cost of living crisis and providing a welcome, warm space, along with hot drinks and food to those who could benefit from the space.

This includes ‘Communi-tea’, a drop-in session each Tuesday from 10am-4

Photo by Ryan Browne/Shutterstock

pm where hot drinks and lunch are provided, ‘Hub not a Pub’, a social space operating every other Tuesday from 7-9pm which will also provide ‘hub grub’ classics, and the continuation of the food donation hub, in partnership with Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance.

Cathy joined Rams players Connor Hourihane and Lewis Dobbin serving meals to members of Derby’s community.

 

 

Clinton Morrison visits school to promote Lifebuoy Soaper Heroes as part of EFL Week of Action

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Lifebuoy Soaper Heroes Ambassador Clinton Morrison has been down at Woodford CE Primary School in Northamptonshire to improve kids’ hand washing behaviours as part of the EFL Week of Action.

Lifebuoy have created a Soaper Heroes programme with the aim of educating kids on the importance of hand hygiene to keep themselves and those around them healthy! With cold and flu season among us, it is more important than ever to keep them away from having sick days from nasty germs. With your help, we can have them where we want them, back on the pitch and playing sport.

Clinton said at the event taking place at the Northamptonshire-based school organised by Northampton Town Community Trust:

“Thank you Woodford CofE Primary School and Northampton Town FC Community Trust for hosting us during the EFL’s Week of Action.

“We’ve had fun learning about the importance of good hand hygiene with Lifebuoy.”

With over 150 clubs and 70,000 kids taking part and benefiting from the programme in 2022, you too can become a Soaper Hero by downloading the programme using the link below.

Upon signing up, you will receive the below pack, including two great engaging and educational football activities which you can incorporate into your everyday sessions. Good hand hygiene doesn’t need to be difficult!

  • A welcome letter from Lifebuoy Soaper Heroes Ambassadors
  • An overview of Lifebuoy’s Soaper Heroes Programme
  • Soaper Heroes warm-up activity
  • Soaper Heroes clean-up activity
  • Educational Hygiene Posters for your club
  • Soaper Heroes certificates

Download your Soaper Heroes pack now here.

Remember, Touch it, Wash it, Bish Bash Bosh it!

NEW REPORT REVEALS SOCIAL VALUE AND IMPACT OF EFL CLUBS IN THE COMMUNITY

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  • EFL Clubs and their Club Community Organisations create over £865m of social value across England and Wales

  • More than £101m generated for community investment

  • Financial sustainability of EFL Clubs key to the continuation of community work

  • Launch of report kicks off EFL’s Week of Action campaign

Today, as part of the English Football League’s (EFL) annual Week of Action, the League has launched a new report highlighting the significant role that its 72 Clubs play in supporting communities across England and Wales. The report was launched at a roundtable in Parliament with representatives from the EFL, its Clubs and Club Community Organisations (CCOs), members of the community and the Sports Minister, the Rt Hon Stuart Andrew MP.   

Produced by research experts Substance using data from 2019 to 2022, the report shows that EFL Clubs and their Club Community Organisations (CCOs) generated more than £865m (£865,196,135) of social value to towns and cities across the country through ground-breaking community programmes during the 2021/22 season. This is the first time a social value has been attributed to the work of EFL Clubs as a collective. It represents the estimated savings to public spending and other forms of social value that Clubs and CCOs have delivered in areas including physical health, mental wellbeing, education and employment.

In the second version of the ‘Measuring the Impact of EFL Clubs in the Community’ report, EFL Clubs are shown to be responding to the needs of their communities at an unprecedented scale with more funding and investment raised than ever before (£101m), more partnerships developed (6,744), larger numbers of staff and volunteers deployed (9,922) and more facilities and in-kind support made available to local people valued at over £40.8m (£40,848,263).

The reach of community work delivered by EFL Clubs is vast and during the 2021/22 season, over 840,000 participants were engaged on EFL Club community programmes over almost 580,000 hours of community sessions and events – this is an 11 per cent increase on 2018/19. Updated figures show that 80 per cent of the population (47.6m people) in England and Wales live within 15 miles of an EFL Club, a reminder that EFL Clubs are important civic institutions that impact the lives of people around the country. Most recently, this was demonstrated through the ‘Together – Supporting Communities’ initiative where Clubs and CCOs united to roll out initiatives to support those hit hardest by the cost of living crisis.

The report also quantifies the significant impact that Clubs had in their communities during the pandemic period with over 40,600 community members engaged in 8,752 COVID-19-related sessions and events resulting in more than 42,000 hours of support.

Shining a light on the impact EFL Clubs have, today marks the start of the EFL Week of Action campaign, taking place from 16 – 20 January. Launched in 2017, the Week of Action sees Clubs and CCOs from across the EFL’s three divisions showcase some of the most impactful community projects with managers and players joining participants across the country.

Rick Parry, Chair of the EFL, said:

“This report provides substantial evidence that our Clubs continue to be at the heart of their communities, bringing life-changing opportunities that leave a lasting impact. The need for EFL Clubs to continue as catalysts for social change remains, with an increasing scale of Club community work delivered since 2019. Financial sustainability for EFL Clubs is key to enabling them to continue as a force for good in their communities.”

Liam Scully, Chair of the EFL Trust, said:

“We’re immensely proud of the community support delivered by EFL Clubs and CCOs and are thrilled to now be able to put a social value on this good work. We look forward to showcasing some of the most impactful community projects throughout this year’s Week of Action.”

Gavin Mellor, Head of Data and Consultancy at Substance, said:

“EFL Clubs and CCOs have arguably never been more important to their communities and this report shows just how fantastically they have responded even in the most challenging of circumstances.”

Sports Minister, Stuart Andrew MP said:

“The EFL’s Week of Action is a great way to highlight the significant contribution football clubs make to local communities. “Football is a way of life across England and this research shows just how vital clubs are in bringing people together and fostering a strong sense of pride.We are determined to protect these vital community assets, so clubs are placed on a sustainable footing now and into the future and continue to play a central role for generations to come.”

To download a full copy of ‘Measuring the Impact of EFL Clubs in the Community’ report, click here.