EFL Trust supports the European Week of Sport, encouraging people across Europe to #BeActive.
Tomorrow (23rd September) sees the start of the third European Week of Sport, which is being celebrated across Europe. EFL Trust are helping the UK lead from the front in encouraging people from all over Europe to #BeActive.
Sport can emotionally be uplifting and contributes significantly to a sense of of togetherness and wellbeing.
Aiming to promote sport and physical activity across Europe, the overarching theme remains #BeActive and should encourage everyone to be active during the Week but also stay active all year long, regardless of age, background, gender or ability.
With sports participation a core focus of the EFL Trust, EFL clubs up and down the country will continue their work in providing sporting opportunities for people of all ages and ability through European Week of Sport, and throughout the year via their own community trust schemes.
Using the power of sport to make a difference to people’s lives the EFL’s 72 Trusts engage with over 1 million people in sports participation projects each year.
The Association of European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL) is supporting the 2017 EWoS campaign and as an official EWoS partner, the European Leagues will contribute to raising awareness of the initiatives and help share the key messages that sport not only provides many health benefits, but can bring people together and positively contribute to our society.
Led by the European Commission, organisations are inviting sports clubs, schools, community groups and individuals to get involved and promote sporting events and activities in their communities using #BeActive.
EFL Trust is excited to be actively participating and supporting the European Week of Sport campaign again in 2017 and with the help of the 72 EFL Club Community Trust’s through a variety of programmes, will help promote the key messages and encourage all citizens to engage in a healthy and active lifestyle.
#BeActive
https://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/sm-beactive-fb.jpg6301200EFL Trusthttps://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/efltrustlogo.pngEFL Trust2017-09-22 09:00:242017-09-20 16:07:32Time To Be Active!
After 20 years as the charitable arm of Plymouth Argyle Football Club, Argyle Community Trust is set to make its biggest step forward in development.
A natural progression for Argyle Community Trust has now arrived in the form of a proposed state-of-the-art sporting hub based at the former Ministry of Defence all-weather pitches in Manadon.
The project is being put together in partnership with Plymouth City Council, the Football Foundation and the England and Wales Cricket Board, with the overall objective of building a lasting sporting legacy for the community to enjoy, reaching 17,000 to 30,000 users.
Proposed facilities include office space for the Trust, an education suite, function rooms, grass and 3G pitches and a full cricket wicket.
“We have been presented with a wonderful opportunity to participate in a major development and it will allow us to deliver a new level of services to the people of Plymouth, and the surrounding areas,” said Argyle Chief Executive Martyn Starnes.
“It is a wonderfully diverse service we provide through the Trust and we consider it to be the jewel in the crown of Plymouth Argyle.
‘’The Manadon project will enable us to offer even better provisions and opportunities for everyone to access sport in our community.”
Argyle Community Trust has grown immeasurably from the humble beginnings of just a couple of coaches delivering soccer courses in the holidays or at after-school clubs.
The Trust now boasts over 40 full-time staff, based at Home Park, Carn Brea in Cornwall and North Devon, providing a full spectrum of programmes in sports participation, education, inclusion and health.
In the past year alone, the Trust has delivered over 9,000 sessions to people across Devon and Cornwall, and an age range from three to 89.
Council Leader and local ward councillor Ian Bowyer said: “We’re delighted to be working alongside the Argyle Community Trust and other partners to create what will be Plymouth’s first cricket and football development hub.
‘’This will significantly improve one of the priority sites in our Playing Pitch Plan and make a big difference to clubs, groups and the local community.’’
https://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Large.jpg9981360EFL Trusthttps://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/efltrustlogo.pngEFL Trust2017-09-20 11:31:532017-09-20 11:31:53Argyle Community Trust’s major development plans to reach over 17,000 users
EFL Trust’s +Sport Move and Learn Project, a specially designed primary schools programme encouraging children to take part in physical activity, has embarked on its fourth year running.
The programme that is run in partnership with Ferrero, EFL Trust’s network of 26 EFL Club Community Trusts and The Irish FA helps young people understand the importance of a balanced diet and active lifestyle.
The +Sport Move and Learn Project is part of Ferrero’s global Kinder +Sport CSR initiative that has already encouraged 15 million children across the world to follow an active lifestyle.
Locally, over the course of six weeks, children from year 5 spend time in the classroom learning about the body, nutrition and the importance of exercise, through participating in interactive activities. This is then followed by a session dedicated to playing football, dodgeball or handball, with two weeks spent on each sport.
Jo Reed, St John’s Primary School, from Brentford FC has said “The children have absolutely loved every session.
‘’They keep talking about what they’ve learnt after they have had a Move and Learn session and it has definitely impacted on them – they are scanning food with the food smart app and loads of them have the flavour infuser water bottles in class.
‘’The teachers have learnt lots too and it will help us be better role models.’’
To date, the programme has been delivered locally by football club trusts in 1,495 schools, with 81,476 children impacted. This Year, EFL Trust welcomes 4 new Club Trusts; Bristol Rovers, Millwall, QPR and Stevenage.
To build on this success, this year 660 schools and approximately 39,600 children will be reached.
A spokesperson from Ferrero said: “Our partnership with the EFL Trust and all our member clubs has gone from strength to strength in recent years, and we are proud that together we have inspired thousands of children to discover new ways to enjoy a healthy and active lifestyle.”
“Since launching Kinder + Sport in the UK two years ago, we have moved over 100,000 children as a result. Active children are more likely to grow into active adults, so we are passionate about inspiring future generations in communities across the UK to get active and live well.
‘’The EFL Trust is the perfect partner; football clubs are at the heart of their communities and engage and inspire people from all generations – and this is exactly what we want to do with Kinder + Sport in the UK.”
Mike Evans, Director of Operations at the EFL Trust said: “The +Sport Move and Learn Project and our partnership with Ferrero is growing from strength to strength.
‘’The power of sport and the club badge allows our network of community trusts to deliver key messages, such as tackling obesity, to reach out to the wider community.
‘’We are committed to helping the next generation discover the joy of moving and we look forward to continuing to work with Ferrero and our own network to achieve this.”
https://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/m_lmain.jpg400700EFL Trusthttps://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/efltrustlogo.pngEFL Trust2017-09-20 09:44:242017-09-28 14:43:10Kinder +Sport Move and Learn project enters its fourth year
Shrewsbury Town in the Community’s ‘Extra Time’ programme is offering people over the age of 50 in Shrewsbury a new lease of life, and you have to look no further than participant Alan Bowers to see the impact the sessions are having on those in the community.
Alan, 69, is a season ticket holder at Shrewsbury Town, but also an active member of the Extra Time programme.
Alan has been a regular participant at the club since it started five years ago, and up until recently was also a part of the Shrewsbury Town in the Community’s walking football team.
Extra Time, is aimed at getting those over the age of 50 involved in sporting activities and socialising, with sessions run every Thursday.
It’s not just limited to football, either. Alan and co find themselves doing a range of different activities each week, and whether it’s hockey, rounders, basketball, walking football or ten pin bowling, there’s something for everyone to get stuck into.
Speaking of the programme, Alan said: ”It’s such a good group of people, and they all get on with one another.
”It doesn’t matter what we’re doing, they just get out there, get some air in their lungs and just do something a bit different.”
When asked how much he has gained since joining Extra Time, he added: ”So much. Making friends, keeping healthy, keeping fit. When you retire, you get to a point of, ‘what do I do next?’
”You can’t go to a pub every day, can you?…Well maybe you can!
”But you don’t want to do that, you want to do something different. We want to do visits, we go to the pantomime every year at Theatre Severn and we have a trip every year.”
Joining Alan at Shrewsbury Powerleague every Thursday is Irene, 87, who has been part of Extra Time for four years.
Like Alan, Irene can’t speak highly enough of the sessions, and the group that she has become so close and friendly with.
”It’s the best club I’ve ever been to, it really is.” Irene said. ”It’s a laugh from the time you go in, to the time you go out, and everybody joins in.
”It doesn’t matter if you’re any good at it. I am no good at hitting the ball in rounders, the ball goes the wrong way!
”Everybody cares for one another, it’s great! If anybody is off colour or ill, we’ve got out phone numbers.”
For a healthy and youthful lifestyle, Irene insists Extra Time is the programme for you.
”It takes years off you! I always claim I’m 29! I’m 87 and I love it.
”The laughs you have, and the friends you make…A laugh a day makes all the difference.”
https://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Alan.jpg20602562EFL Trusthttps://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/efltrustlogo.pngEFL Trust2017-09-18 10:52:302017-09-18 14:23:48EXTRA TIME: ‘It takes years off you! I always claim I’m 29. I’m 87 and I love it.’
Chanelle McManus, a USW (University of South Wales) Foundation Degree student at Preston North End, discusses the benefits of the education programme and how it’s opened new opportunities to her.
Known as ‘Nel’, the PNE student is a familiar face when Preston North End are out in the community; she is a regular deliverer of a variety of sessions – to providing national curriculum PE lessons in schools to primary school children, to overseeing walking football sessions to the over 50s, and it’s the natural variation and diversity of the job that saw Nel catch the ‘coaching bug’.
“I originally wasn’t going to carry on with education, just look to work my way through working as a casual coach,” said Nel.
“But having heard about the degree and how different it is to other courses with more practical modules, I decided to put myself forward. I’m obviously reaping the benefits now as I’ll hopefully have an extra qualification whilst doing the work in schools I would have been doing anyway.’’
The Foundation Degree that Nel fulfils, ‘Community Football Coaching and Development’ is delivered alongside the University of South Wales in partnership with the EFL Trust.
On the course, students like Nel are predominantly based at the football club’s facilities but will also attend a yearly residential at USW.
The course focuses on all aspects of children’s and youth coaching, football coaching, football development, social inclusion and sports management skills, allowing the student to study all sub-disciplines of coaching and football development.
The two-year course welcomes those who have completed the Level Three programme, as well as those who studied elsewhere such as a BTEC level three or three A Levels.
“Every day is different,” said Nel on working with the Preston North End Community and Education Trust.
“I’ve just come back from a school now and I had 20 kids in the entire school and I’ve never done that before, and later on I will go into a bigger school with more challenging children – every day is different.
“You can work in all sorts here; I do a nursery on a Wednesday then I’ll do walking football on a Friday so I’m literally involved in everything.
“I’ve always played football; I played for Preston North End WJFC up until open age so I’ve always played but it was when I did my work experience with Mel (Brown, Inclusion Manager) in high school where I got the bug for coaching.
“Now, I actually prefer coaching and developing players then playing it myself and I’ve actually given up playing now to concentrate on coaching as I didn’t have the time to do both.”
Nel’s roots of working in the community stem from working with Mel at an early age, but it was working with the Preston North End Community and EducationTrust that saw her find out about the education opportunities that Preston North End provides to post-16 students.
She added: “I’ve enjoyed it after my first year so far. It’s very independent which is what I like as I like to go away and do it all in my own time and base it around my practical work.
“I’d certainly recommend the course but you’ve got to be committed and have a love of football to make the most of it.
“Because the course is independent, it’s easy for students to come onto the course and just not bother and not take the wonderful opportunities on offer, so you have to be committed.
“I make sure I go out of my way to take advantage of all the experience offered here. I do the walking football, I don’t need to do that but I took it upon myself to do that so I think you should just go for it and take advantage of the opportunities available.”
Nel is now looking at progressing from a casual coach into a full-time role at PNE or a similar capacity at another football club, a typical exit route that the degree provides.
“Hopefully there will be an opening here, told Nel – “Just so that I can continue working here, but in a full-time capacity and just keep doing what I’m doing. I love what I’m doing now, but I want to do it full-time eventually.
“I’ve always been a PNE fan so that’s always been a bonus. I’ve been given the opportunity to work match days and I’ve met the players and the manager whilst doing the birthday parties so that’s always a bonus for me.”
https://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/pne-1.jpg48003200EFL Trusthttps://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/efltrustlogo.pngEFL Trust2017-09-14 14:59:112017-09-14 15:05:23USW: A once reluctant Foundation Degree student speaks of endless opportunities
The annual EFL Trust Conference was held at The Oxford Belfry Hotel between 10th – 12th September 2017. As well as delegates from the 72 football community trusts under our umbrella, we were delighted to be able to invite 3 NCS graduates from our network to the event.
Cara Harrison (SWFCCP – Sheffield Wednesday) & Libby Smith (Club Doncaster) co-delivered a workshop with EFL Trust staff on youth participation. They were both able to share how their experience of the NCS graduate programme has given them opportunities to lead and influence future improvements to the NCS programmes, to ensure the content of the timetables are endorsed by young people that have completed the programme.
Cara & Libby were supported in their workshop by Katie Aris who is also an NCS graduate, now employed full time as part of the Portsmouth NCS staff team. Katie epitomises everything that NCS is about and it was fantastic to have her in attendance in the capacity of compere. All the graduates did an incredible job in their respective role and added something very special to this years conference.
Libby, who is about to begin her degree in International Events Management said: “The whole experience was amazing and I don’t think I’ll ever forget it! It has given me a real insight in the events industry so it’s helped me in many ways!”
Mike Evans, Director of Operations at EFL Trust added: “Katie, Cara and Libby were a key part of our conference this year and really show how NCS is able to produce confident, skilled young adults that are able to take on this challenge with such professionalism”.
The conference also welcomed NCS Trust’s Chair of the Board of Directors, Stephen Greene, who addressed the 72 football club trusts on the first day.
Club Doncaster Foundation’s Fit Rovers course has so far engaged with 86 men, losing an astonishing collective total of 41 stone and 13 pounds.
The eight-week healthy lifestyle course, currently undertaking it’s fourth group, provides men across Doncaster the chance to make dramatic changes with weekly interactive workshops and exercise sessions tailored to the needs of every individual.
Participants on the third and most recent course combined a weight loss of eight stone, four pounds with all 16 participants collectively dropping 103cm from their waist circumference.
Scott Copeland, programme leader, who is proud of the groups continual hard work, said: ‘’Once again the graduates from our last Fit Rovers programme achieved and surpassed the goals they set themselves in week one.
“Every single person has their own story and reasons for attending Fit Rovers and the incredible weight loss they have achieved is not where the transformation ends.
“All 16 members that completed the course showed an increase in their wellbeing as measured by the WHO 5 wellbeing index, 13 of these were deemed significant improvements.
“Other changes include increased consumption of fruit and veg, increased exercise levels and an increase in self-confidence.’’
Scott added: “We’re delighted with how well the community has responded to the course; the fourth course had been filled for some time with some participants waiting a couple of months for their opportunity.
“We hope that we can continue to emulate the results from previous courses but most of all that the participants enjoy the course and become Fit Rovers veterans.’’
During the course, the third group also had the opportunity of experiencing a typical match day at Doncaster Rovers’ Keepmoat Stadium as they played an inaugural fixture against Barnsley FC’s counterparts, Fit Reds.
Stepping into the Doncaster Rovers first team dressing room and proudly pulling on the famous red and white stripes was a dream come true for participants.
Course graduate, Peter Norman was delighted with the experience. He said: ‘’It was absolutely amazing to have the full experience of the changing room and facilities.
“The attention to detail and the professionalism that went into the whole day was a real reflection of the course from the beginning.
“Since the start of the course, it’s made me appreciate how much effort Nick and Scott [Foundation staff] have put into the sessions; I know the half a stone that I have lost is from what they have had to say about marginal gains and making sure we too emulate their ethos.”
For more information on the course, contact the Club Doncaster Foundation team on 01302 764663 or email [email protected].
https://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Pic-one-doncaster.jpg396473EFL Trusthttps://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/efltrustlogo.pngEFL Trust2017-09-05 12:40:452017-09-05 14:10:22Doncaster’s Fit Rovers shed over 41 stone
https://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Community-Trust-Logo.jpg5761024EFL Trusthttps://www.efltrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/efltrustlogo.pngEFL Trust2017-09-05 11:00:562017-09-05 11:00:56VACANCIES: Blackpool FC Community Trust – Head of Education / Head of Sport
An initiative set up between Reading FC Community Trust and The Community Furniture Project in Newbury (CFP Newbury) has provided a platform for disabled people to gain valuable life skills – through football activity and work experience.
CFP Newbury is a project that offers work placements to people with disabilities allowing them to gain voluntary, part time or full time employment with their furniture shop, in turn helping them to build on their confidence and reach their full potential.
Reading FC Community Trust were approached by CFP Newbury to see if they could offer sports sessions that would help build morale within the shop and promote beneficial teamwork and communication skills.
Through EFL Trust’s Every Player Counts project funded by Wembley National Stadium Trust, this was made possible and Reading FC Community Trust’s overall goal of establishing a disability team and entering it into the local league was achieved, whilst also recruiting players from Reading’s SEN school and college networks.
One of the senior workers at the shop, Joe, who had completed an FA Level 1 coaching award, was interested in managing the team.
After getting in touch with Reading FC Community Trust he was provided with a mentor to help develop his management skills, which has in turn helped him guide the disability football team in the Berkshire Oxforshire Buckinghamshire Inclusive (BOBI) League.
The BOBI league provides regular footballing opportunities for children and adults across Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire who have physical and learning difficulties.
The CFP Newbury team are now competing in seven-a-side BOBI League festivals that occur once a month, playing in five fixtures during each festival.
Joe commented: “The group has come a long way in a short time with the help of Reading FC Community Trust, the coaching and mentoring we have received has been excellent and the group has responded really well.
‘’The Reading FC Community Trust staff have the knowledge of disability football and the local area and have been able to get us involved with the FA’s Disability League.
‘’We look forward to working with them in the future.”
The partnership between Reading FC Community Trust and CFP Newbury continues to grow moving forwards, with the offering of coaching courses, match tickets, funding support and volunteering/employment opportunities.
Daniel Rook, Disability Manager from Reading FC Community Trust said: “The CFP project for us has been great in terms of getting people with disabilities working and active in football.
‘’To see how the group have come on is fantastic and having a team/project like this will only benefit disability football in Berkshire.
Ashley, part of the CFP Newbury disability football team and below, hard at work at the furniture project
This summer a group of eight young adults on the National Citizen Service (NCS) with Argyle Community Trust, developed a social action project that will leave a positive and everlasting impact on the older generation of their community.
After embarking on a journey of personal development and team based participation, where comfort zones were stretched and friendships flourished, the team of young people based at Carn Brea in Plymouth cultivated an ambition to create a valuable social action project to help the older generation.
They wanted to show that, as younger people, they still value and respect their elders.
The perception that certain older members of the community are forgotten when placed in care homes was the golden thread that brought them together. This collective vision subsequently brought about the initial stages of ‘The Memory Garden Project’. To generate a safe and vibrant place that would bring comfort and joy to residents. A location where family and friends could visit and re-live all those fond and cherished memories.
The team found a very willing and grateful partner in St Martins Care Home in Camborne. This local care home takes immense pride in their work and does an amazing job caring for its residents. However, a communal area situated in the centre of the building, was in need of some TLC. St Martins looks after patients that have Alzheimer’s and Dementia, and this resonated with the team on a personal level.
The team worked incredibly hard raising money in their planning stage and generated a staggering £613. Their aim was to regenerate the communal area and give something back to an establishment that does so much. Although the money raised enabled the team to provide various practical items, such as storage space, seated arbours and decorative hanging baskets, the most significant donation was their determination and hard work.
Craig Tanner, Team Leader said: “It has been a privilege to watch this group of individuals develop and challenge themselves. The change within the team has been truly inspiring.
”They have worked incredibly hard to make this happen and to see their faces on completion was a proud moment. I wish them the best of luck in their future aspirations and can’t wait to see them graduate in October.”
This hard work has also been recognised in Plymouth by the local community and more specifically the local MP. George Eustice visited St Martins to show his appreciation of the brilliant work undertaken. The team radiated with pride and spoke enthusiastically about the work they had done. This was backed up by glorious praise given to the team regularly by both staff and residents at St Martin.
John Bulley St Martins (Cornwall Care) said: “We are so very grateful that the NCS team came around and regenerated one of our Gardens at St Martins Residential Home. It has been a huge relief, and our residents very much appreciate what they have done for them and our staff.
”It was great to see the residents take in what was happening, we at St Martins from Staff to residents and Visitors were overwhelmed by the work ethos from your young people and staff who came here from raising the money to organising the work and behaving like grown-ups, and being 100% professional at all times.”
The team have now completed their National Citizen Service programme and are now moving on to future endeavours. They have developed as people and obtained valuable life skills to take forward that can be applied not only within future education, but also when they venture into employment.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience by allowing the website to recognise you on subsequent visits and make navigation quicker,. We do not collect any personal data or share data with third parties. Press accept to opt-in to use of cookies on this site.AcceptRejectRead More
Privacy & Cookies Policy
Privacy Overview
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
