Northampton Town Community Trust Wins Top European Award for Tackling Loneliness.

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Northampton Town Community Trust have been announced as the winner of the prestigious #Morethanfootball Award for it work tackling loneliness.

The More than Football Award honours the best social initiatives in Europe delivered by a European Club, League, or FA by celebrating the work they do on and off-pitch on a local, national and international level.

Northampton Town’s winning project was part of the EFL Trust’s ‘Tackling Loneliness Together’ initiative which enabled EFL clubs to play an important and unique role in supporting their local communities when issues associated with loneliness were put into sharp focus at the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With financial support from DCMS to initially drive the activities and additional funding and support from local partners, EFL Clubs created a range of locally delivered support services. From zoom cookery lessons for widowed men in Derby to Christmas Day phone calls in Wigan and Christmas dinner deliveries in Stoke, the project offered support to over 33,000 people – more than 75% of which were over 65 years old – and over 120,000 phone calls were made to those at risk of becoming isolated.

Northampton Town FC Community Trust alone supported 1,210 people aged over fifty to reduce the feeling of loneliness and improve their mental health and wellbeing. The impact of the project is wide reaching, and the stories Audrey and Michael outline just how the project has reduced feelings of loneliness and isolation, helped develop new friendships and improved people’s mental health and wellbeing.

Mike Evans, Chief Executive of the EFL Trust, said: “Football starts conversations, helping people to connect, and we are immensely proud Northampton Town Community Trust and indeed how our clubs put their communities first and providing vital support for those who were at risk of becoming lonely and suffering the effects of deteriorating mental health.”

The award was handed out during the 18th EFDN Conference in Budapest, Hungary, which assessed not only on the quality of the project but also on the level of promotion and engagement. The attending member clubs at the Conference, voted the Northampton Town Tackling Loneliness project as the best social initiative delivered by a European Club, League or FA.

Northampton Town Chairman Kelvin Thomas said “We are so, so proud. A huge well done to Phill Smith and all of the staff at the Northampton Town Community Trust as well as Scott Desborough and all of the Trustees for their work and the difference they make to so many lives. This project was a club wide effort, and I am so, so proud of everyone involved. We have always felt this club has fantastic community engagement but to see that work honoured on both a national and international scale makes us all exceptionally proud.”

 

EFL Trust Website Shortlisted For Prestigious UK Ecommerce Award

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The EFL Trust is delighted to announce that its Official Soccer Schools (OSS) Website has been shortlisted at the UK eCommerce Award 2022 in the category of ‘Sports, Leisure, Toys Ecommerce Website of the Year’. Read more

The EFL network have been recognised for their efforts to support youth employment

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In a new report from the Sport For Development Coalition, the EFL Trust, the EFL and its network of Club Community Organisations have been recognised for its work on ‘providing opportunities’ and ‘enhancing employability’ to support youth employment. Read more

FIT U’s success inspires Saj, Terry and Chris to continue their more active lifestyles.

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Three men determined to shed the pounds and live a healthier lifestyle have set up Oxford’s newest walking club after enrolling on a free health programme for men and women.

Saj Rana, Terry Winter and Chris Jones meet at Risinghurst Cricket Club every Thursday from 6.30pm as part of a shared ambition to be more active, get fitter and lead a better-connected life.

The trio met via Oxford United in the Community’s FIT U’S programme. The free 12-week course was launched this summer and combines theory behind living a healthy and active lifestyle with fun and engaging activities.

Average weight loss statistics for the FIT FANS programme are impressive and exceed those of many other programmes. On average women lose well over 3kg and men over 5.5kg by the end of the 12 weeks. We also have evidence that lifestyle change, and weight loss are sustained over the following 12 months. More than 90% of men and 85% of women lose weight during the programme with many losing a clinically significant amount.  Our data shows FIT FANS helps people to increase physical activity, and reduce sedentary time, leading to weight loss, a significant reduction in reduction in blood pressure, and improvement in self-reported mental wellbeing measures.

Saj Rana has been busy shifting the pounds and making new connections with FIT U’S with a very personal reason for doing so.

He explains: “I feel much healthier for joining FIT U’S. I have two beautiful grandchildren and want to see them grow up and spend as much time with them as possible.

“It does cross my mind occasionally how many years do I have left, and how can I improve my lifestyle to ensure I live for as long as possible.

Banbury-based exercise and nutrition expert Rebekah Stapley leads the programme, which aims to tackle cardiovascular disease (CVD) rates locally.

It comes after figures revealed CVD causes a quarter of all deaths in the UK and is the leading cause of premature deaths in people experiencing homelessness, mental health issues and those living in deprived areas.

Saj added: “Eating the right foods and drinking responsibly while being active by getting the body moving is the best solution, and FIT U’S has given me the motivation needed to make those changes.

“I found it very reassuring that every person can set their own individual goal and there is no pressure or expectations at our sessions. Turning up is an achievement in itself and the social benefits are equally important.

“I’d encourage anyone considering making simple but effective changes to their lifestyle to sign-up now and get involved – you’ve got nothing to lose.”

Saj Rana in full flow at FIT U’s!

Saj, 58, hopes to welcome more members to the club this winter while the charity recruits’ people to enroll onto its next FIT U’S programmes, which start on November 15.

“It started off as just a one-off walk, but now we meet every week and the health benefits are fantastic,” said Saj. “Although we had never met before starting FIT U’S, Terry, Chris and myself share a lot in common and combining talking and walking really accelerates the time.

“We’ll be 6,000 steps into our walk, equivalent to burning 300 calories, and barely noticed we had started. It makes a huge difference exercising in the company of likeminded people but finding something to facilitate this isn’t always easy if you’re overweight or not comfortable going to the gym.

“Typically, we’ll walk for 45 minutes but there are no set rules or commitments. It would be fantastic to welcome more people, especially through winter when sitting at home watching TV is a far easier decision to make.”

To find out more about your nearest FIT FANS programme,  please contact your local Club using the list below.

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    EFL in the Community Newsletter: Issue Two

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    Issue Two of the EFL in the Community Newsletter is out now, showcasing a selection of the invaluable activities carried out by EFL Clubs and their Club Community Organisations (CCOs). Read more

    How Bolton Wanderers LGBTQ+ Youth Club is breaking down barriers

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    Equality, Diversity and Inclusion is a key focus for Bolton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers in the Community (BWitC), and the club’s LGBTQ+ Youth Club has been hugely successful in creating a safe space for people to be themselves and making a difference in the local area.

    Launched in 2018, the LGBTQ+ Youth Club focuses on hate crime, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and offers young LGBTQ+ people and allies aged 13-17 a safe space to socialise, meet others they identify with and open up about important topics and issues they may face.

    Beth Warriner, BWitC Programme Lead, plays a key part in the weekly running of the Youth Club and is delighted with the positive impact it is having in tackling exclusion and hate crime in the Bolton Community.

    “About 50% of the people attending the community work we deliver around the Bolton area were identifying as LGBTQ+,” she told The EFL.

    “They expressed an interest in wanting their own night as part of the Youth Club. We looked at what we could do to support them, so initially the LGBTQ+ Youth Club was formed on a trial basis to see what the turnout would be and it was hugely successful.”

    The Youth Club – delivered in partnership with Bolton Council’s Play and Youth Service – has been running for almost six years, with the group meeting on a weekly basis in Farmworth, Bolton, and once a month, 9-12-year-olds are also invited to join the session.

    Beth added: “We advertised it in schools, sent flyers out and got a fantastic response. It’s been running every Tuesday night for over five years now and it’s been really successful. Having a separate Youth Club night for members of the LGBTQ+ community gives young people a safe space to chat and meet others who are also LGBTQ+.

    “The staff area LGBTQ+ as well which really makes a difference to the young people, because they’re able to support and guide them through any tricky life situations.”

    The Youth Club participants also work with BWitC and Greater Manchester Police on education around hate crime, with the youngsters taking part in hate crime training as well as becoming hate crime ambassadors and helping educate others on what hate crime is and how to report it.

    “It was reported back by the young people that the hate crime training wasn’t very user-friendly or interactive for their age groups.

    “So we applied for some funding locally and managed to get some hate crime training delivered that was specifically tailored to young people. As ambassadors, the participants were then able to go out and deliver that to other Youth Clubs and schools around Bolton.

    “It was a really impactful and empowering experience for those young people and really gave them all a lesson on the importance of hate crime.”

    Hate crime training has also extended to all staff members at Bolton Wanderers and Bolton Wanderers Community Trust, with the University of Bolton Stadium now also becoming a third party hate crime reporting centre.

    Such is the success of the LGBTQ+ Youth Club, BWitC are also looking to introduce a second weekly session as they look to reach and benefit more young people of the LGBTQ+ community.

    “It’s certainly growing in terms of how we’re able to expand the provision,” Beth concluded.

    “Four of our participants recently started university, most of whom joined us on our first-ever session back in 2018. We’ve had the privilege of watching these young people grow and develop into confident and resilient adults.

    “There are endless young people who will benefit from this, we’ve seen that first hand.

    “I’ve been to schools that have LGBTQ+ sessions and they have 40 or 50 attendees, so there is definitely a real need for the support and if we can help benefit these young people with our Youth Clubs then it’s great.”

    Proud Terriers Goes From Strength To Strength Ahead Of Huddersfield Town’s Dedicated Rainbow Laces Fixture

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    “I really want to help in the fight to eradicate homophobia from football,” says Ryan Mather. In 2020, we gave our platform to Ryan a life-long Huddersfield Town fan and very ‘Proud Terrier’ to tell his story in his own words. At the time Ryan was also a first-year student on the University of South Wales and EFL Trust Foundation Degree in Community Football Coaching and Development with Huddersfield Town Foundation.

    Ryan has since progressed having completed his Foundation Degree earlier this year and is now in the process of completing the Top Up Degree.

    Ryan explains how proud Terriers came about, “A few years back at a Huddersfield Town vs Brighton game, which was our Rainbow Laces fixture, there was homophobic chanting from the Town end to the Brighton fans. This was the most uncomfortable I have ever felt at a game and this incident left me feeling upset, angry, and so disappointed. Being made to feel like this has led to me having several panic attacks and has impacted my mental health. If I’m feeling this, then others within our community will feel the same. “

    “I made it my mission ultimately to create a culture of inclusion in football and develop more of an accepting atmosphere throughout the ground and the community. My starting point was to create a real identity for the group and came up with ‘Proud Terriers’. I started with a logo and then created a Twitter page for the group. At the time I already knew someone at the Football Club and so I reached out to him to tell him about my ideas and to see how he could support us and the Club have been really supportive.”

    There has also been support from Huddersfield Town Club legend, Andy Booth who has become a Proud Terriers ambassador. This has seen the initiative grow from strength to strength. Andy works within the supporter’s services and is the frontman of getting ideas off the ground from appearing in the club programme, to meeting players.

    Ryan said: “He’s been a really incredible ally to us and one I will always be grateful for to have someone I looked up to growing up when he played for the club is surreal.”

    This has enabled Proud Terriers to be a connecting partner with many local colleges and Huddersfield Town Women which has continued to enhance the football is for everyone messaging to a wider, diverse audience.

    More so, social media has been powerful in Ryan’s upwards trajectory with his Instagram and Twitter followers doubling since their creation in 2020. Consequently, Proud Terriers now has its own merchandise available with Ryan and his team handing out laces, badges and leaflets at Huddersfield Towns dedicated Rainbow Laces fixture against Millwall on Saturday 29th October.

    “I am a big Huddersfield Town fan and I have been all my life. I am an openly gay football fan and I’ve witnessed homophobia and really wanted to establish a movement to inspire a new generation of fans and create a culture in which homophobia doesn’t exist. There still is a way to go but with Proud Terriers we’ve made a great start of the journey.”

    You can find out more by following Proud Terriers on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @ProudTerriers or email Ryan and the team at [email protected].

    Young people with Yorkshire Cricket Foundation (YCF) help with vital project to improve environmental sustainability and to support accessibility within Cricket

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    A group of young NCS Changemakers with Yorkshire Cricket Foundation (YCF) are calling for cricket clubs across the Yorkshire region to embrace a new cricket kit recycling scheme, as part of the ‘Together for Sport’ initiative along with Zero Waste Leeds.

    The scheme involves donating, reusing and recycling cricket kit, to help support accessibility within the game as well as improving local environmental sustainability.

    The call to action follows a successful star studded ‘Cric-Kit’ launch by the two organisations in Leeds, last month. More than 350 people from the local community attended the special event, including 50 Yorkshire Cricket College Changemakers as part of YCF’s NCS programme.

    The Cric-Kit scheme aims to create awareness and a culture across Yorkshire and the UK where donating, recycling and reusing sports clothing becomes a common place, to help break down barriers in community participation.

    The young people at the launch event were also joined by Northern Diamond superstars Beth Langston and Steere Kalis.

    Beth Langston commented:

    “It’s a really good initiative – getting people from the local community down, maybe some that haven’t been involved in cricket before if the cost of the sport has been a barrier before.

    “Especially nowadays with the cost of living crisis, that might put people off if they’ve not got much disposable income, but here was the opportunity to come down, grab some kit for free and then hopefully that will get more people involved in playing cricket or some other sports.

    “Getting young people and adults involved in sport is really important for their health, their mental health and sport offers so much more including creating a community.”

    Cricket kit can cost hundreds of pounds each year and as the cost-of-living crisis continues to increase, the option of getting some cricket kit for free means that money can be spent elsewhere for families.

    Kendal James, Participation Manager for YCF, and founder of the initiative, said:

    “As part of the Yorkshire Cricket Foundation within Participation, our job is to try to break down barriers and one of the biggest barriers we know in cricket is in fact the equipment.

    “And added on top of this, given the current climate with inflation and how expensive things are, we wanted to rally round and find as many opportunities to showcase that we can reuse, recycle and donate kit to those in need.”

    The Cric-Kit scheme also looks to have a major impact on helping the environment, as high plastic content can often be found in cricket equipment and garments, leading to damaging results for the environment, once old equipment is thrown away.

    Following the successful launch, a new ‘Cric-Kit’ hub will be launched at Headingley Stadium, where spare cricket kit can be donated and reused across a number of community programmes run by YCF in Leeds.

    The Foundation is also calling for cricket clubs across Yorkshire to help reduce waste, save money and breakdown barriers by joining the Cric-Kit scheme. YCF are aiming to select a handful of proactive clubs across the region who have expressed an interest in becoming a ‘Cric-Kit Hub’ early next year.

    Kendal from YCF reiterates:

     “We are asking cricket clubs to be a flagship for Cric-Kit and encourage members of the club to donate any unused recycled kit, and also create awareness locally that if people have any unused kit, they are welcoming donations that future members who join the club can access if they need to.”

    Young teens from Huddersfield celebrate a special graduation night

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    Huddersfield Town Foundation recently celebrated the success of 188 young people, recognising their participation in NCS over the summer in a special NCS graduation event at Dewsbury Town Hall last week.

    The Foundation was joined by the Mayor and Mayoress of Kirklees, Cllr. Masood Ahmed and his daughter Iram. Masood, who is an NCS Ambassador, spoke passionately about the impact of the programme in communities, before handing out certificates to the NCS graduates.

    NCS is the ultimate experience for young people aged 16-17, where they are given the opportunity to make new friends, develop new skills, launch meaningful projects in the community and create new memories.

    The graduation night was an opportunity for all the young people to be back together to catch up and celebrate their achievements from the summer, in front of a high-profile audience.

    Over the course of the summer, Huddersfield Town Foundation ran four programmes, containing a total of 188 young people. Within each programme, the young people took part in a five-day residential course followed by a second week where they completed a social action project in north Kirklees.

    Recognising the impact the young people have had on themselves and their community, The Mayor of Kirklees, Councillor Masood Ahmed said the following:

    “As Mayor, it is incredible to hear that nearly 200 students from our borough have graduated from the National Citizen programme over the summer. I know a lot of projects in Kirklees have benefitted from the work the students have done and because of that those groups will be able to support their communities even more.

    “I would like to thank the NCS, the Huddersfield Town Foundation, community partners and the young people for coming together for the programme.

    “This is a shining example of what can be achieved when we all work together, and everyone involved should be incredibly proud of the difference they have made to our borough.”

    Click here to find out more about NCS.

    Trust opens new eco Family Zone

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    Families and staff celebrated the opening of Burton Albion Community Trust’s first eco Family Zone.

    Taking place before Burton Albion’s recent home game against Forest Green Rovers, the area was awash with green endeavours as they hosted several family fun activities with an environmental focus.

    The special event, held at the Burton Albion Community Football Centre, was at the end of the Great Big Green Week, the UK’s biggest ever celebration of community action to tackle climate change and protect nature.

    Katie Johnson, School Sport Manager at Burton Albion Community Trust said:

    “As we all know, now more than ever we have to look after the environment.

    “We hope our eco Family Zone is the start of something big. Doing something no matter how big or small will go some way to help to save our environment.”

    Among the activities and offer on the day were the regular family zone activities, such as football, archery and inflatable fun.

    In addition, the Trust launched a Planet League Competition, a football-themed climate action tournament, and urged attendees to take part in a Layering Up challenge and bring their old football boots along because the site will become a Utilita Football Rebooted drop off point, to ensure they are rehomed and don’t end up in landfill.

    Trust staff also promoted smart meters, as part of the EFL partnership with Smart Energy GB, the not-for-profit campaign helping everyone in Britain understand the importance of smart meters and their benefits to people and the environment.

    Waste savvy staff were also on hand with some fun and games to show participants what waste can be disposed of where from their home and in the local community, and their Pedal To The Pitch initiative, where fans can chain their bikes up for free at the ground while fans enjoy the match.

    The Family Zone takes place at the Burton Albion Community Football Centre every home matchday and commences 90 minutes before kick-off.