International Women’s Day: Grace Phillips’ story

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From holiday camp participant, to youth councillor and student, to apprentice coach, Grace Phillips has been a continued advocate for positive change in her local community.

Grace first came into contact with Bristol City Robins Foundation at the age of just six-years-old when she attended one of the Foundation’s school holiday football camps. The youngster’s attitude at the camp and her clear leadership skills were quickly picked up upon by the Foundation’s coaches, who invited Grace to join the – then newly formed – Youth Council.

As part of the Robins Foundation’s Youth Council, Grace was keen to make football more accessible for women and girls and wanted to provide females of all ages the chance to get involved in the game that she had never had. Grace has since received both regional and national accolades for her dedication and commitment to community work.

Grace and her peers at the Foundation’s Youth Council worked to develop a multi-generational football session (named F3) to provide women and girls of all ages and abilities the chance to play football and have fun, free of charge. The project won the FA award for the best participation initiative in 2017/18.

From here, Grace decided to continue her studies through the Foundation’s education department, whilst simultaneously volunteering at the sessions she had worked relentlessly to develop.

Grace excelled academically at the Foundation and Bristol City Robins Foundation were in a position to offer the young coach the opportunity to join their workforce on a full-time basis, as an Apprentice Community Coach.

Grace is now an integral part of the Foundation’s community delivery and continues to develop as a coach.

Projects and Partnerships Manager at Bristol City Robins Foundation, James Edwards – who has worked with Grace since her first contact with Bristol City’s official charity over 15 years ago – commented: “Grace’s journey through the Foundation is the embodiment of what we strive for here at the Robins Foundation. Her commitment to the work that she carries out in the community is exceptional.

“Grace is an absolute credit to the Foundation and indeed to Bristol as a whole and we are incredibly proud to have her enrolled as an Apprentice Coach. I have no doubt that Grace will continue to develop as a coach and will be an immense success.”

Grace told the Foundation: “I’m so pleased that I have been able to have a positive impact on my local community.

“The opportunity to work as an Apprentice Coach with the Robins Foundation has been brilliant for me and I have really enjoyed being able to continue working in the local community. I feel like my coaching skills have really developed, and continue to develop as I gain more experience.”

 

#InternationalWomensDay, 8th March 2020

 

 

 

EFL Day of Action to celebrate impact of Clubs in their communities

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EFL Clubs will come together on Tuesday 10 March to highlight the positive impact football has in changing people’s lives and the work taking place to tackle some of society’s biggest issues.

Across the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two, events will be held by Clubs on EFL Day of Action to showcase the very best programmes and activity they deliver in a number of important areas, including diversity and inclusion, education, and health and wellbeing.

The impact of the work carried out by EFL Clubs and Club Community Organisations (CCOs) is unparalleled, with more than half a million hours of group activity delivered and over 40 million hours of participation each season.

During the 2018/19 season, almost 900,000 people took part in a wide range of activities across key areas, with Clubs and CCOs receiving over £60 million of direct project funding.

The EFL Day of Action aims to unite Clubs and CCOs on one day to celebrate and highlight the impact they have in their communities, bringing together the most unique projects and programmes being run across England and Wales.

Managers and players from the EFL’s Clubs will be attending events up and down the country on Tuesday to pay special visits to see participants in action and to provide their support to various projects.

For example:

  • In the Sky Bet Championship, Cardiff City will host participants of their Bluebirds Ability programme at their first team training session. Bluebirds ability sessions support children and young people with a disability through football activities.
  • QPR’s Angel Rangel will join a food delivery to local hostels and homeless shelters with Club partner City Harvest, who use surplus food from various London locations and provide for those in need.
  • To celebrate the success of the EFL Trust’s Fit Fans programme, Doncaster Rovers, Sheffield Wednesday, Rotherham United and Bradford City will all come together at the Keepmoat Stadium to host a football festival with over 40 participants.
  • In Sky Bet League One, Bristol Rovers will showcase their partnership with St Peters Hospice Charity, which offers the Club the ability to engage with patients suffering with various forms of cancer.
  • In Sky Bet League Two, Port Vale are hosting a full day of activities, showcasing their impact on people in their community including breakfast clubs, careers events, mental health groups and walking football.

Five EFL fixtures will also take place on the evening of the EFL Day of Action, with Clubs further supporting the day with warm-up t-shirts and in-stadium assets.

These are just a few examples of some of the fantastic work due to take place during the EFL’s Day of Action by EFL Club Community Organisations – the largest network of sporting charities in the UK.

EFL Chairman, Rick Parry, said: “Our Clubs have always had a unique position in the heart of their respective towns and cities and it is important that we celebrate the work they carry out, which improves lives and tackles some of society’s biggest issues on a daily basis. 

“The recent study commissioned by the EFL shows that Clubs’ work in their communities is happening on a huge scale and starts to place a real value on this work, providing further insight into the impact of programmes provided.

“The hours committed by staff and volunteers at Clubs and CCOs, as well as the support from players and managers, demonstrates a remarkable commitment to improving lives up and down the country.”

See the results of the Measuring the Impact of Clubs the Community study HERE.

 

Vulnerable young people in Wigan given a boost thanks to new National Lottery grant awarded to Wigan Athletic Community Trust

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WAFC Community Trust at the Youth Zone in Wigan.
Photo by Fabio De Paola

Fresh from being named the EFL North West Community Club of the Year 2020, Wigan Athletic Community Trust has received more positive news this week thanks to a new grant from The National Lottery Community Fund.

The Community Trust has been awarded £392,457 to extend the Pathway 2 Participation programme for an additional three years, and provide mentoring support to some of the most vulnerable young people in Wigan.

The programme, which will be delivered in partnership with Wigan Youth Zone, will build on the work of the Pathway 2 Participation programme over the last four years where it has helped 100s of young people to improve their health, mental well-being and confidence through mentoring and sports activities.

Tom Flower, Head of Community at Wigan Athletic, said: “We are extremely delighted and grateful to receive the funding from The National Lottery Community Fund.

“The investment will enable us to help hundreds of young people in the borough; enhancing their life chances and giving them the opportunity to achieve their full potential, whether that is through sport or education activities.”

Pathway 2 Participation has been operating in Wigan since 2015 and with the support of Wigan Council’s Deal for Communities Investment Fund and The National Lottery Community Fund Reaching Communities scheme has helped 100’s of young people to take part in activities in their local communities, re-enter education and even find employment.

With the support of The National Lottery Community Fund and Wigan Council, the programme has seen participants enjoy a number of activities including mountain biking, team building exercises and water sports sessions.

Project evaluation carried out in 2019 showed that 82% of young people who completed the programme said they felt happier about their life while 97% of participants said involvement had helped to increase their confidence and self – esteem.

Wigan Athletic Community Trust at a Kayaking sessions at Scotsman’s Flash in Wigan.

Duncan Nicholson, Head of Funding for North West region at The National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Thanks to National Lottery players we are able to support young people through Pathway 2 Participation.

“The project is a great way to get young people the mentoring support they need to help boost their confidence and improve their mental well-being.”

MP for Wigan Lisa Nandy said: “I’m delighted that Wigan Athletic Community Trust have received this substantial and well-deserved grant from the National Lottery.

“Their track record speaks for itself, and this money will be vital in helping them continue their brilliant work with some of the most vulnerable and marginalised children and young people across Wigan.”

The National Lottery Community Fund is responsible for giving out money raised by National Lottery players for good causes. Last year it awarded over half a billion pounds (508.5 million) and supported over 11,000 projects across the UK for health, education, environment and charitable purposes.

For more information on the programme please email Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s Senior Community Development Co-ordinator Steve Eastwood on [email protected] or call 01942 318090.

 

 

EFL Clubs recognised at Parliament for outstanding work in the community

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Ignition Sports Media Community Club of the Year and YouGov Sport Community Project of the Year winners were recognised at Parliament earlier today.

A number of EFL Clubs were recognised and celebrated at Parliament for their outstanding work in the community on Tuesday 2nd March.

As regional winners of the Ignition Sports Media Community Club of the Year, six EFL Clubs were selected for their innovative and ground-breaking work being delivered in their local communities.

New for 2020 is the YouGov Sport Community Project of the Year, where one club per division has been recognised for its outstanding work in delivering a specific project that has had a positive impact on areas such as health and wellbeing, education, and diversity and inclusion.

Hosted by Sky Sports’ Scott Minto, winning Clubs were honoured at a special event at the House of Commons earlier today, receiving their awards from the Sky Sports presenter and EFL Chair, Rick Parry.

Special guests and club representatives gathered on the River Thames as winners were celebrated and given the opportunity to showcase some of the outstanding work they deliver in their communities.

These worthy winners give an indication to the variety of outstanding work being delivered by Club Community Organisation’s in EFL communities across England and Wales.

Speaking at the House of Commons, EFL Chair Rick Parry said: “I was really impressed with what I saw today, and inspired too. We heard some wonderful stories, real life stories of the impact of some of our Clubs work and an event like this really does bring it home to you how much it matters.
“It’s one thing reading the stats, but when you’re actually seeing the individuals involved, seeing the passion and seeing their commitment to making a difference, that really means a lot.
“We’re so fortunate in the EFL to have such a variety of football clubs. Our Clubs touch every single community across the country, 37 million people live within ten miles of an EFL club – that’s pretty extraordinary. We have a real breadth of reach and a high passion for the biggest football club down to the smallest, I don’t believe there’s another network like it.
“I don’t think there’s a limit to the power of football – and the power of sport generally, but football is really playing its part. It encourages people to talk, it encourages people to communicate and it can bring people together which is sometimes all you need to get things started. Whether it’s mental health related, physical health, education or fighting crime, football is playing its part. It’s fantastic to see.”

 

The 2020 winners are listed below, alongside details of their work in the community.
Ignition Sports Media Community Club of the Year winners

North East & Yorkshire – Middlesbrough FC

  • Middlesbrough FC Foundation launched a new community strategy with a core principle of ‘making a difference by being different.’ Through a number of specific projects, such as RiverSideBySide and ‘The Boro Bus’ it has been able to improve community cohesion, health provisions and education in one of the most deprived areas of the country for over 35,000 people.

North West – Wigan Athletic

  • Focusing on three priority areas of schools, community development and training and skills, Wigan Athletic have continued to create a stronger community in their surrounding area. The partnership between the CCO and Club is a key factor in the success of Wigan Athletic Community Trust’s programmes and delivery to over 14,000 individuals.

Midlands – Derby County

  • Over 30,000 individuals participated in Derby County Community Trust programmes in 2019 – its highest number to date. Its commitment to creating meaningful experiences, working closely with a range of partners, impressed the judges and the impact of the Club’s work is apparent across the community.

London – Charlton Athletic

  • Charlton Athletic Community Trust impressed the panel with its continued ability to increase engagement (to over 46,000 people), participation and investment in programmes and activities within its locality on a huge scale. In particular, their Crime Reduction Project which has significantly impacted the lives of over 2,000 young people in the area by combatting anti-social and criminal behaviour was a standout feature of their entry.

South East – Crawley Town

  • Crawley Town was recognised for its innovative approach to projects and their ability to continually improve programmes and services, particularly within its National Citizen Service delivery. Despite being a smaller CCO in terms of annual turnover than our other winners, Crawley have been able to introduce projects such as the Crawley Old Girls and the CCO was also chosen as one of the 12 EFL Clubs to launch the EFL Trust’s ‘Extra Time Hubs’.

South West & Wales – Cardiff City

  • The judges were impressed with Cardiff City FC Community Foundation’s continued commitment to providing an inclusive environment for participation across all areas of their work. Its work engaging over 23,000 individuals has seen the organisation recognised in the industry, receiving a number of high-profile accolades this year.

YouGov Sport Community Project of the Year winners
 

Championship – Charlton Athletic

  • In response to an increase in serious youth violence in the delivery areas of Charlton Athletic Community Trust, the Club launched the Crime Reduction Project, to reduce anti-social and criminal behaviour in the area. The project has had a significant impact on over 2,000 young people since launching, with over 350 involved in one-to-one mentoring, over 670 supported by introducing them to sport and physical activity and over 1,000 engaged due to emerging problems or concerns. Of those engaged, many individuals have since moved into education, employment, training or volunteering; many experiencing a stronger connection to friends and family and there has also been a reduction in criminal behaviour.

League One – Portsmouth FC

  • ReFit is a project delivered by Pompey in the Community in partnership with the Society of St James, offering free daily activities to vulnerable adults in the city, affected by complex issues involving drugs and alcohol misuse, mental health or homelessness. The programme uses sporting activities alongside education, to promote a healthier way of living and provide participants with relevant skills and qualifications to improve their lives. In its first two years, the project has impacted over 600 participants.

League Two – Cambridge United

  • Cambridge United Community Trust’s ‘Mind Your Head’ programme caught the judge’s attention for the unique way they have used the power of the Club badge to reach out to young people and share the importance of mental health. The programme, which was delivered to over 1,000 secondary school students, has improved mental health literacy across a number of schools in the area and has been recognised on a national level by the ‘all-party parliamentary group for a fit and healthy childhood.’
The overall winners of both the Community Club of the Year and Community Project of the Year will be announced at the EFL Awards ceremony on Sunday 19 April in central London.

Richard’s story: “Not only has he enhanced his football skills, he’s formed new friendships and his self-esteem has improved.”

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Despite the tribal nature of being a fan, football is a universal language and across the country people are enjoying and benefitting from programmes run by their local football Club despite being a loyal fan of another Club.

Ahead of the Carabao Cup final, we take a look at some inspirational stories of City and Villa fans whose lives have been changed by their local EFL Clubs.

Richard’s story 

As Aston Villa season ticket holder Steve Hammond reflects on the opportunities his son Richard has explored through Shrewsbury Town in the Community’s ShrewsAbility, his gratefulness and delight at his son’s achievements are substantial.

Richard is a boyhood Villa fan and has been a regular ShrewsAbility member since the sessions first launched in 2016.

Through the Every Player Counts programme funded by Wembley National Stadium Trust and EFL Trust, the ShrewsAbility Down’s syndrome football scheme creates a multi-tier learning environment that improves the participants’ overall physical, social and emotional health.

Talking about his son’s involvement in the ShrewsAbility sessions, Steve said:

“Apart from holidays, Richard hasn’t missed one ShrewsAbility session at Shrewsbury Town in the Community since they began. He thoroughly enjoys it.

“Before taking part, Richard struggled to trap or strike a ball properly. It’s amazing to see the difference and how much he has developed, he’s so comfortable at doing these things now and has built his intelligence of the game.

“I feel so happy and grateful to see my son enjoy playing football every week just like I did when I was younger.

“Not only has he enhanced his football skills, he’s also formed new friendships and his self-esteem has improved.

“He’s like an older brother or father figure to the rest of the group, he enjoys helping the younger ones and the new people that come in, helping them to score goals.”

ShrewsAbility provides more opportunities for people to play football in a comfortable and competitive environment.

Steve added: “These sessions make you look at what everyone is able to do and not what they can’t – you see people’s abilities, not their disability.”

Apart from football, Richard is also an avid gymnast and swimmer and in 2011 he represented Team GB at the Special Olympics in Athens, winning two Silver Medals and one Bronze Medal in artistic gymnastics.

Since ShrewsAbility launched, the session has had an aggregate attendance of 464 participants across all disability sessions.

95% of participants have stated that there has been an improvement in their mental wellbeing since attending the sessions.

Steve concludes: “Football is leading the way with inclusion and it’s fantastic to see Clubs doing all they can to get as many people involved in playing the game.”

#EveryPlayerCounts 

David finds new lease of life attending Blackpool FC Community Trust programmes

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Despite the tribal nature of being a fan, football is a universal language and across the country people are enjoying and benefitting from programmes run by their local football Club despite being a loyal fan of another Club.

Ahead of the Carabao Cup final, we take a look at some inspirational stories of City and Villa fans whose lives have been changed by their local EFL Clubs.

David’s story 

 

David Roberts, a lifelong Manchester City fan, has found a new lease of life attending Blackpool FC Community Trust programmes after struggling with the lifestyle changes of retirement.

The 61 year-old, who was born in Manchester but moved to Blackpool when he was six years old, is one of the founding members of Manchester City’s Blackpool and Fylde Supporters Club (established in 1976).

After retiring last year, David struggled with the change of routine and started having panic attacks. He knew he needed to find a new hobby and purpose.

As a keen football fan, Walking Football sessions at the Club Community Organisation most local to him – Blackpool FC Community Trust – caught his eye.

He said: “I felt a massive sense of emptiness after I retired. I’ve had mental health issues previously in my life, but always found ways to battle on and keep going.

“The change in routine affected me and I started getting panic attacks, so something had to change.

“Then I came across the Blackpool FC Community Trust Walking Football team.”

After attending Walking Football with the Seasiders for the past year, David credits the team for giving him a great boost of confidence and helping him to feel young again.

He added: “I hadn’t played football in 15 years, so it has been fantastic to get back into it.

“The camaraderie of the team is brilliant, everyone mixes together with people aged 50-70. It’s been a massive boost to my morale and I feel younger mentally.

“It gives me something to look forward to now every single week.”

His involvement with the Walking Football team also developed his interest in other programmes at the Trust such as Sporting Memories and a Stress Control course.

Talking about his experience on the Stress Control course, he said:

“It was very interesting getting an overview of how you can do things to help yourself to manage stress. The course also included exercise, which has massive benefits – I found it really useful and all the other participants did as well.

“All in all, the programmes at Blackpool FC Community Trust have helped me so much. I may not be a Blackpool fan, but the commonality of football itself is so powerful and the social side of the sport has had a massive impact on my life.”

 

Sam’s story: Tacking discrimination in football with Charlton Invicta

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Despite the tribal nature of being a fan, football is a universal language and across the country people are enjoying and benefitting from programmes run by their local football Club despite being a loyal fan of another Club.

Ahead of the Carabao Cup final, we take a look at some inspirational stories of City and Villa fans whose lives have been changed by their local EFL Clubs.

Sam’s Story

Boyhood Aston Villa fan Sam Timms has played a significant role in tackling discrimination in football, through his involvement in setting up LGBT team Charlton Invicta, formally affiliated to Charlton Athletic Community Trust.

“Football is a massive part of my life. I have always been attached to it and played the game from a young age at grassroots level.” says Sam.

“There came a point in my life in my early teens where I was worried I wouldn’t be able to play football when I started to question my own sexual orientation. I became worried about my relationship with my Dad and I was concerned he wouldn’t speak to me – it was a difficult time and I stopped playing the game for quite some time.”

Eventually, Sam got back into playing football in his home town in Birmingham and with what seems like fate, met his partner, Gary [player-manager at Charlton Invicta] at a football tournament in London.

“I met Gary at a football tournament in London when we played on opposite teams.

“I eventually moved to Kent and worked with Gary in 2016 to approach Charlton Athletic Community Trust to support our LGBT football team.”

The result was the birth of ‘Charlton Invicta’, formally affiliated with the Club’s Community Organisation taking Charlton’s name and playing home games at their training ground. They are the first LGBT-friendly team to have such an arrangement.

This season, Charlton Invicta has signed over 32 members, with just over half of those players identified as LGBT and are the only team in the country to have two transgender players.

The team has also most recently received the Grassroots Football Award at the Football v Homophobia Awards.

“It was a massive step for football, I’m so proud of the success. If you asked me back then [in 2016] about Charlton Invicta being this successful, I would never have believed it.

“The drive behind all of this personally for me is that I don’t want to look at my younger self and have anybody go through that – nobody should feel inadequate about playing football.”

Sam was also the Founder and is currently the Chair at Villa and Proud, Aston Villa’s official LGBT Supporters Group which formed in 2018.

His involvement with Villa and Proud has led the Supporters Group to become the ‘fastest growing LGBT supporters group in the country’, with 228 members signed up and 80+ of those identifying as LGBT.

To find out more about Charlton Invicta visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/CharltonInvicta/ 

Brentford FC and its Community Sports Trust host mental health evening for fans at Griffin Park

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Brentford FC and its Community Sports Trust hosted a special screening of the documentary “Steve” to Brentford fans and local community groups at Griffin Park on Monday.

The film, which documents how one man lost his friend Steve to suicide, highlighted the difficulties many men face in discussing their mental health and how playing sport can be instrumental in helping men overcome mental health conditions. The screening coincided with the Duke of Cambridge’s Head’s Up campaign that raises awareness of mental health and encourages more open conversations.

Ben, who created the film after he lost his friend Steve to suicide, has one simple aim: to help men help themselves.

He said: “76% of suicides are male. In fact, as a man under 45 the thing most likely to kill me, is me: we need to change this and try to prevent mental ill health.”

“We seem to know how to look after our physical health – but we don’t seem to know about our mental health. I hope this event will get men talking and to realise how men need to look after their mental fitness and, if necessary, join a talk club to prevent the next Steve.”

Ben hosted a Q&A at Griffin Park after the screening finished and encouraged attendees to have open discussions about their mental health. Brentford FC and its Community Sports Trust used the evening to discuss with fans the possibility of a “Brentford Talking Club” that would provide a safe hub for male fans to discuss any mental health conditions.

Brentford fan Joe Stapleton found the documentary an eye-opening experience, he said:

“The event really opened my eyes to the struggles that so many of us experience and how important it is to talk and seek help.

“I will be signing up to Brentford’s Talking Club to help with my own personal mental fitness, but also to learn and help others with theirs.”

Brentford FC Community Sports Trust has already been recognised for its community work surrounding mental health. In partnership with West London NHS Trust, it has been running its Hounslow Hawks FC programme for 11 years – offering local residents free football sessions as a form of therapy. Brentford FC are also working closely with the EFL’s charity partner Mind to promote mental health at Brentford games.

Graham Goodden, Communities Engagement Manager at Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, believes that this event will not only promote mental health awareness but mental health action. He said:

“It was great to see so many people attend the screening to raise awareness of this vitally important subject.

“This screening signalled the first step in changing perceptions of men’s mental health. However, raising awareness is simply not enough and that is why we are keen to establish talking men’s clubs so that Brentford fans have a safe space to talk.”

For more information about the Trust’s mental health initiatives please contact Brentford Football Club Community Sports Trust at [email protected] 

“The change that I have witnessed as a parent has been astounding”

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Jack, 18, is a young wheel chair user and by his own admission would struggle in social settings, however thanks to NCS he has a new found confidence.

His mum Bernie Jones from Middlesbrough has thanked MFC Foundation (Middlesbrough Football Club) and NCS (National Citizen Service) for giving her son, Jack, ‘a new sense of purpose’ and believes he has come on ‘leaps and bounds as a young man’ since doing NCS in 2019.

NCS is a 3-4 week programme in summer that provides young people aged 16-17 the chance to take on new challenges, experience exciting activities, and make long-lasting friendships and support young people’s transition to adulthood.

Jack, 18, is a wheelchair user which initially gave Bernie some doubt to Jack taking part in NCS;

“As a parent I most definitely had my reservations about Jack being a part of the NCS programme but the support from the MFC Foundation team was unbelievable. They catered to his every individual need and made the programme accessible for Jack. The change that I have witnessed as a parent has been astounding and anyone who is considering the programme then please don’t let this opportunity pass you by. NCS essentially has given Jack a new sense of purpose and as a young man he has come on leaps and bounds.”

Jack admits that before NCS he would struggle in social settings;

“The staff supported me in finding methods to support my additional needs. This supported me with making new friends and allowed me to challenge myself to try new things.

I’ve definitely got better at working in a team and I love the opportunity to be involved in discussions. But, most of all NCS allowed me to develop my self-confidence and make new friends. I realised that I could do just as much as other people if not more, and I’m so pleased that the NCS team at MFC Foundation helped me to achieve this.”

During Jack’s experience on NCS, he and his team supported a number of charities such as raising money for the local care home Hillcare, revamping the Teesside Nautical Studies centre and raising money for a local disability society which Jack is involved with. Jack said;

“My best moments on NCS were during week 4 doing our social action delivery. Supporting the local community and raising funds for a number of local charities which were quite personal for us as a team, really provided a highlight for me.”

Jack encompasses everything that NCS sets out to achieve for young people, it provides new opportunities, promotes and encourages social independence, gain new friends and build self-confidence.

Kelly Daley, NCS Manager at MFC Foundation supported Jack through his NCS journey said;

“Jack is an inspiring young man who wanted to be involved with all aspects of the NCS programme. His enthusiasm and zest for getting the job done was a pleasure to witness.  His development as a young man was significant from the beginning of the programme right through until graduation.”

Jack’s physical constraints did not prevent him from playing an instrumental role within the planning of the team’s social action project.

Jack is now a key member of MFC Foundation’s Youth boards where he regularly attends to continue making a positive impact in his local community.

This month, Middlesbrough Football club along with 43 other EFL and Premier League Clubs will celebrate the impact young people are having on NCS through #NCSMatchday. In 2019, young people from EFL Trust’s network delivered over 650 Social Action Projects, volunteered over 260,000 hours of social action and raised over £230,000 for local charities and causes that shines the light on the impact young people on NCS have had in their local community.

To find out more about NCS visit wearencs.com.

Student praises the impact of Education Pathway at Mansfield Town

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Teenager Joshua Warren has heaped praise onto Mansfield Town Football in the Community’s Education Pathway, saying it’s helped him grow rapidly in confidence and better prepare for life in the working world.

Currently in Year 13, Joshua spent a year at a local college prior to joining Football in the Community’s education pathway, making the switch after finding college life difficult, and feeling like his personal development was taking a backward step.

Joshua said “I’ve always struggled with my confidence and at School always had the one to one support, as soon as I went to college it was the exact opposite which made it [confidence] go back to where it was but having one to one support again here has brought me back up.”

Elizabeth Regan, Education Officer at Football in the Community said, “He had a really good background in sport but he wasn’t pushing himself to the best of his ability – he was achieving pass/merit level within his work and over the time he’s been with us, he’s progressed on to predominantly distinction grades.

“He’ll happily get involved in class discussions now, he’s a completely different student in the classroom to what he once was – I’m so proud of the journey he’s been on.”

Mansfield Town Football in the Community will be changing the Education Programme in the next academic year, running one of the countries newest BTEC courses and switching to an 11-a-side games programme, however the core values will remain the same, something Joshua believes will continue to make a massive difference.

He said “I would recommend studying here to anyone because you get to learn and play/train which really takes the stress off of the work that you’re doing – it helps you to focus and gives you something to work for and complete it to the best of your abilities.

“Meeting new people was a worry for me at first but I’m really glad I took the step, meeting people who have had similar journeys to me and watching them grow is nice to see – being able to enjoy something that you loved as a kid every day is a really good experience.”

From September, Football in the Community students will enrol on the BTEC Level Three Diploma/ Extended-Diploma in Sports Coaching and Development and play weekly matches in the newly developed CEFA League, ran by the EFL – with students of all footballing experience and ability level welcome

Education Officer Elizabeth Regan added “We take huge pride in the fact that we are not an elite level football development programme – our focus is primarily on the Education to set students up for a better career.

“The amount of young people who fall through the net and don’t make the grade as a professional footballer is alarming, with a huge percentage of those so focussed on playing – their educational and life experience is minimal.

“Our programme has the right balance between competitive game time at a very good standard, education and work experience opportunities – as students will discover first hand within our environment.

“The course is perfect for those who have a thirst for playing and enjoy the game, but who always want to progress and forge a career for themselves, or even move onto higher education.”

For further information, contact Elizabeth Regan on 01623 656 920, or email [email protected].