Football focus

Sport is a key component of club life with the power to engage people of all ages and from all backgrounds. Here we feature just some of the many football clubs who are making a real difference to their communities and beyond.

Be it on the pitch or off it, there is no doubt that football – and sport in general – makes society a richer place. Be it a united community, an up-skilled workforce or quite simply a happier population, the tangible benefits of sport are there for all to see,” says Nick Roberts of the Football League Trust (FLT).

Despite its name the FLT uses various sports to deliver projects designed to have a real social impact. Football remains a key driver for participation, however, and last year saw over 30,000 new women and girls introduced to the game under the Female Football Development programme. It is Walking Football, however, which is the fastest growing scheme at the FLT. Aimed at the over 50s the game is generally delivered in a small-sided format using normal 5-a-side rules with the added “

rule of ‘no running’. (Visit http://www.footballleague.co.uk for more details.)

Here we look at some outstanding clubs who are fully committed to making their sport more inclusive while reaching out to their communities with everything from fitness programmes to learning zones and from Doorstep Clubs to the popular Walking Football.

Barnsley FC Barnsley, Yorkshire Barnsley’s Reds in the Community programmes includes Fit Reds, a nine week healthy lifestyle programme (delivered in partnership with Person Shaped Support) which targets overweight and inactive men over the age of 35, helping them to make positive lifestyle changes.

The programme consists of a series of two-hour workshops delivered over the course of the nineweek programme and participant’s health measurements are taken at the beginning, middle and end of the programme to monitor individual progress throughout and to act as a motivator.

Out of this came the Walking Football activity, set up in January 2015. The activity allows older men the opportunity to rediscover the joys of playing football by slowing the game down to walking pace (a free kick is awarded whenever a player runs). The game is proving hugely popular with 225 registered clubs all over the country. This is partly due to the fact that people are living longer, says the club, and the need for appropriate activities for those aged 65+ is increasing. The activity also addresses both inactivity and social isolation among older men.

The sessions are structured and delivered by qualified instructors who are well experienced in delivering activities for older men. But Walking Football is not uniquely for older men, says the club: “Men of all abilities are welcome from the age of 35+. There may be some men recovering from injuries or have a health condition who may find the sessions preferable to regular 5-a-side football.”

Barnsley has also launched a Doorstep Sport Club, funded through StreetGames UK. Doorstep Sport Clubs exist in many different forms and are delivered by a range of organisations, providing vibrant, varied, fun and sociable sessions, with a strong emphasis on youth leadership. “The initiative aims to engage young people aged 14-25 in fun and challenging activities to grow motivation for lifelong participation in sport. We aim to create opportunities for young people to lead, volunteer and support the Doorstep Club to enhance their personal and professional development,” says the club.

Brentford FC Brentford, Middlesex Brentford’s contribution to the community in 2015 was put at a mightily impressive £8.5m by an independent estimator, a fact not lost on the local Council when the club presented plans for a new stadium. The Council gave weight to the fact that Brentford FC Community Sports Trust (Brentford FCCST) had ‘extensive preventative health, sporting participation and education benefits that would enhance the health, well-being and social opportunities for many people in the area’.

Brentford FCCST’s Social Inclusion team delivers a wide range of youth inclusion projects that enable young people to participate in a diverse collection of sport and educational activities within the most deprived wards in Ealing, Hounslow and Richmond. Its first project was Ealing Positive Futures which began in 2003 with one full time staff member and a handful of casual coaches. By 2011 the team had 55 full time, part time and casual staff, delivering 10 youth inclusion projects across three boroughs, as well as smaller session-based projects, engaging with

Brentford’s contribution to the community in 2015 was put at £8.5m by an independent estimator.

over 2500 individual young people and delivering a wide range of multi-sport and youth work based activities. The team has received the Street Games National Street Mark for quality of content and delivery.

Education is a high priority and during the week the Brentford FC Players Lounge converts into an ICT and Learning Suite called the Griffin Park Learning Zone (GPLZ). This study support centre aims to raise attainment for young people between the ages of 8-19 years. The club works closely with schools to identify youngsters at risk of underachieving and who would benefit from attending GPLZ.

“Through a range of creative activities (editing videos, creating books and comics) we work closely with the young people drawing out their strengths and talents, providing them with a boost that helps re-engage them back into school,” says GPLZ manager Chris Barrett. “Being under the Trust umbrella allows us the opportunity to use football coaches to link up with our programmes. This education and sport combination has a very powerful impact on our learners.”

Adult classes are also being trialed.

Brentford FCCST launched its volunteering programme in 2010, offering participants the chance to work on projects and events that provided them with professional experience of working in a nationally recognised Community Sports Trust.

Charlton Athletic FC Greenwich, London Volunteers with the Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) can expect to get as much out of the experience as the people and community they help,

according to the club: “Whether your interest be in coaching, media, or crime reduction, we can provide you with an opportunity to pursue your goals.”

Volunteer roles include National Citizen Service, the Greenwich Get Walking programme and Healthy Walks Administration. Just one popular example of the work undertaken is the Charlton Upbeats Day in aid of CACT’s Down’s Syndrome project which raised £15,000 in 2015. This year the day involves a nine mile walk from the club’s training ground to The Valley stadium, led by Charlton legends and assisted by accredited walking volunteers.

The social value of CACT’s mentoring programme alone has been calculated at over £2,373,800. Family activities are also fostered and the club recently supported the current Prostrate Cancer campaign (featured in the March issue of Club Mirror).

Fulham FC Fulham, London

The social value of CACT’s mentoring programme alone has been calculated at over £2,373,800.

Fulham’s ‘My Future Goals’ aims to get young people into work who are not in education or employment. To date 75% of the 300 who have been on Fulham’s scheme are now working, studying or training at a return of £6.92 for every £1 invested.

Swindon Town FC Swindon, Wiltshire Swindon Town’s ‘Fit Fans’ can be found at clubs around the country getting adults active. At the club itself, a group of 30 fans lost a combined 40 stone in just three months, transforming the lives of all those involved.

The club’s Charity of the Year for the 2015/16 and 2016/17 seasons is Headway Swindon and District which helps adults who have survived a brain injury caused by sudden events, such as a traffic accident or a stroke. Fundraising activities so

far this year have included March’s Rock and Roll Bingo evening at the club with a Sausage and Chips supper.

Wigan Athletic FC Wigan, Greater Manchester Wigan Athletic Community Trust now employs over 40 members of staff who work with over 10,000 people each year across four areas: Football and Sport, Community Cohesion, Education and Health.

Based at the Montrose Skills Hub opposite the club’s DW Stadium, the facility has a range of classrooms and an indoor sports hall that the Community Trust is able to use for its sporting and educational projects.

The Community Trust aims to: • Increase opportunities for young people and families to be involved with Wigan Athletic –from playing and coaching, to watching and supporting.

Wigan Athletic Community Trust works with over 10,000 people each year.

• Raise the aspirations of young people through football and education. • Provide meaningful sports opportunities for young people to enhance their communities. • Improve the health and well-being of the Wigan

Community through football activities. • Be a sustainable and well-managed forward thinking organisation.