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Smart Energy GB Extend Partnership With EFL Trust and EFL

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The EFL and Smart Energy GB have agreed a two-year partnership extension which will see football supporters across England and Wales continue to receive help in understanding their energy spending.

Smart Energy GB teamed up with the EFL and EFL Trust in 2021 and has since held a series of engaging community focused activities showcasing the benefits smart meters can have for households.

 

With 72 EFL Clubs and their Club Community Organisations (CCOs) located in towns and cities across the country, the partnership provides a national platform with local reach to show fans how a smart meter and in-home display could help them better manage energy bills and household finances.

Smart meters are crucial to upgrading Britain’s energy system and by having them installed at home, football supporters will also play a key role in helping the transition to more environmentally friendly and sustainable energy sources, such as wind and solar. 

Ben Wright, the EFL’s Chief Commercial Officer, said:

“EFL Clubs and CCOs support their communities seven days a week, 365 days of the year and with Smart Energy GB focused on helping to tackle fuel poverty and making energy savings all year round, this will help, especially those who have been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.

“We are pleased to announce this extension so we can continue to help support the communities our Clubs serve.” 

Phillippa Brown, Deputy Director of Special Audiences at Smart Energy GB, said:

“Working in partnership with EFL Clubs and their Club Community Organisations has been incredibly rewarding. The partnership has allowed Smart Energy GB to reach households through their love of football to understand how smart meters could help them better manage their energy bills. This has been vital for many people looking for ways to stay on top of their finances, so we’re excited to continue this work and build on what we’ve achieved across England and Wales already.”

Cathy Abraham, the EFL Trust’s Chief Executive Officer, added:

“We know a lot of people are finding it harder to manage their household bills. Our EFL Club Community Organisations engage with over 840,000 people every year across England and Wales, so are perfectly placed to support those people who may be struggling.

“This partnership with Smart Energy GB will further help people to make informed decisions about the use of their energy.”

Click here to find out more about Smart Energy GB and how a smart meter could benefit you.

Headstart makes expansive headway in North West

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Thousands of Year 6 pupils across the North West of England, making the transition into secondary school, will benefit from a mental health programme involving several EFL Club Community Organisations (CCOs).

Since 2022, the EFL Trust and four CCOs have supported dozens of schools and hundreds of pupils across Lancashire and South Cumbria via a pilot project called Headstart, thanks to funding from Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity after successfully applying for an NHS Charities Together Grant.

The EFL charitable arm is delighted to announce, during Mental Health Awareness Week (15th – 21st May), the programme – which has supported almost a thousand pupils since it began – will be delivered by a further seven charities.

The CCOs will work in schools, providing one to one or group support, in either a classroom environment or delivering sessions, like yoga and mindfulness.

Fleetwood Town Community Trust, Preston North End Community and Education Trust, Morecambe FC Community Sports and Accrington Stanley Community Trust each have a Mental Health Transformation Officer, all of whom aim to reduce strain on the NHS by targeting those children currently accessing or are at risk of needing to access children’s mental health services.

Blackpool FC Community Trust, Blackburn Rovers Community Trust and Burnley FC In The Community have joined the Lancashire cohort of CCOs delivering the programme.

In addition, Bolton Wanderers In The Community, Foundation 92, Rochdale AFC Community Trust and Wigan Athletic Community Trust have come on board thanks to funding and support from Greater Manchester Integrated Care Partnership, GreaterSport and local authorities; Trafford Council, Wigan Council and Bolton Council.

In 2020, one in six (16.0%) children aged 5 to 16 years were identified as having a probable mental disorder, increasing from one in nine (10.8%) in 2017.

Adrian Bradley, Head of Health & Wellbeing at the EFL Trust said:

“Our Club Community Organisations are well connected within schools across their communities, and we’ve seen some wonderful and impactful examples during our pilot year of delivering the programme.

“We’re delighted that we’ve received further funding for more Club Community Organisations to deliver this programme across Lancashire and Greater Manchester, and reach and support as many children as possible, making that milestone transition in their lives from primary to secondary school.”

Caption: ITV Football visited Larkholme Primary School in Fleetwood to witness EFL Trust Headstart Programme delivered Fleetwood Town Community Trust.

Over 72,000 Primary School Children Set To Discover The Joy of moving

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This year marks the ninth year of the EFL Trust delivering Ferrero UK’s corporate social responsibility programme, Joy of moving, in England and Wales.

Through the charity partnership, EFL Club Community Organisations will continue to support and inspire thousands of children to lead an active and balanced lifestyle.

The Joy of moving, Ferrero’s unbranded CSR programme, has been supporting children across EFL Communities in the UK for the past eight years, engaging over 440,000 children during that period, with a further 72,000 primary school children set to benefit from the programme this year.

The programme consists of two elements – the school-based Move & Learn programme and the Joy of moving Festivals – which have been developed in conjunction with EFL Trust. The unbranded programme is designed to inspire children to move through play, and in doing so, build up key skills such as physical fitness, motor coordination, cognitive functions and creativity and life skills.

A teacher, who welcomed Charlton Athletic Community Trust to deliver a Joy of moving session recently, said:

“Children have thoroughly enjoyed the Joy of moving programme. I liked the way young people have been taught the importance of physical health. As a teacher, I have also enjoyed learning a new approach to PE.”

Alongside the in-school programme offer is the Joy of moving Resource Hub which houses a variety of fun games and activities to get children and families moving at home.

Cathy Abraham, Chief Executive at EFL Trust added:

“We are extremely proud of the Joy of moving programme and the positive impact it has on children each year. We are delighted to continue our partnership with Ferrero and through the EFL Trust’s network of Club Community Organisations, we will continue to deliver a fun programme to children and families.”

Charlie Cayton, Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications, Ferrero UK concluded:

“We’re incredibly proud to have been able to deliver our corporate social responsibility programme, Joy of moving, over the past eight years to children up and down the country. Through our long-term charity partnership with the EFL Trust, the programme has delivered some fantastic results and helps to inspire children to learn skills that will support them in developing positive habits for adulthood. We look forward to the next year of the partnership as we continue to inspire children and families to get active and to discover the Joy of moving.”

To learn more about the Joy of moving Programme, visit www.efltrust.com/joyofmoving/

EFL Kids Cup finalists in safe hands at Rovers

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Blackburn Rovers goalkeepers David Raya and Jayson Leutwiler offered their support to the club’s EFL Kids Cup finalists Whitefield Primary by hosting a special hour long training session with the school.

The training session, which was held on the 4G surface at Priory Academy in Penwortham, Preston, was in preparation for the regional finals of the competition next month.

Raya and Leutwiler held a variety of different sessions including passing, dribbling and of course, their speciality, goalkeeping, for the primary schools young shot stoppers.

The children finished off with a mini game between themselves, which provided Raya and Leutwiler the opportunity to observe and offer any advice leading up to Whitefield’s EFL Kids Cup showdown in March at Wigan Athletic’s Robin Park Arena.

A win for Whitefield and Rovers will see the South Ribble based primary school don the famous blue and white jersey at Wembley Stadium in May in the EFL Kids Cup final ahead of the League One Play-Off final.

Leutwiler, who lives less than a mile away from Whitefield, hopes they can go all the way and reach the EFL Kids Cup final at the home of English football.

“We were there to offer advice and help Whitefield prepare for their matches coming up,” admitted the Canadian international.

“They all seemed to enjoy the training session we put on and straight away we could tell how much they love football.

“They are now playing for a chance to reach Wembley and I am sure it will be a dream come true for them if they can go all the way. I really hope they do well and I wish them all the best in the regional finals.”

To find out more information about the EFL Kids Cup visit: www.efltrust.com/kidscup/