World Health Day – Football Fans in Training
Today (7th April 2019) is World Health Day. A day to raise global awareness and local conversations about ways to achieve health for all.
We, alongside our 72 EFL Club Community Trusts, use the power of sport to improve health and well-being in local communities around the UK.
Working across all age groups and sections of the community from healthy eating sessions in primary schools through to sessions helping those suffering from dementia.
Football Fans in Training (FFIT)
The Football Fans in Training scheme, delivered by 5 EFL Club Community Trusts [Swindon Town, Wycombe Wanderers, Blackpool, Middlesbrough and Charlton Athletic], is aimed at overweight football fans, encouraging them to lose weight, get fit and live a healthier, more active life.
Fans on the scheme take part in a 12-week training programme delivered by Club community coaches at their team’s home stadium. They are also grounded in current science of how to eat more healthily and become more active.
Since running the FFIT project, Swindon Town FC Community Foundation have helped more than 200 fans lose more than 250 stone collectively.
One participant in particular on The Robins’ programme, Dave Potts, was the biggest loser out of the group that ran in 2018, after losing nearly 3 stone and 16cm off his waist (16.3% of his starting weight).
Talking about his experience on the programme he said: “Since starting the Football Fans in Training programme I’m a lot fitter, sleeping better and I’m lot happier.
“The result that was a real shock to me was that my blood pressure has come down by over 15%.
“The course has made so many huge changes in my life.”
Mike Evans, Director of Operations at EFL Trust said: “The EFL Trust is committed to improving the lives of people within EFL communities across country and Football Fans in Training is proven to be a great way to get people to think about sustainable changes to improve their lives.
“We are proud of the work in our EFL Clubs in this area so far and hope to do more to address this important challenge going forward.”
