In March 2023, the Football Foundation (Foundation) launched its first equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) strategy, Together for Football. This report is the second and final update on the progress made against the commitments made and the tracking of the Foundation’s diversity over time. Our efforts have always extended beyond the diversity metrics presented in this report. We want to create lasting culture change, understanding, and real commitment to key principles of EDI. The Foundation wants to sustain a culture where every individual feels valued, respected, and empowered to share their unique perspectives.
As we reach the end of Together for Football, the Foundation’s equality, diversity, and inclusion strategy, it is a good moment to reflect on our work since its launch in 2023 and celebrate our achievements so far. The ambitions set out in the strategy have been instrumental in guiding the Foundation toward a more inclusive and equitable culture.
Our Commitment
We remain steadfast in our dedication to EDI, recognising its critical role in our success and the well‑being of our team members. By embracing diversity and fostering inclusion, we not only uphold our core values but also improve the organisation as a whole. As we look to the future, we remain committed to Together for Football as a strategy and plan for driving cultural change.
We will ensure that we...
Enhanced our understanding
We have challenged our thinking over the course of Together for Football, through both formal training and listening to individual stories and perspectives.
Culture
We’ve cultivated an environment where teammates can be themselves, feel a sense of belonging, and importantly, know that our funding makes a meaningful difference to creating quality, inclusive, and accessible places to play.
Leadership Commitment
Our leadership has consistently championed EDI principles, ensuring they remain at the forefront of our organisational agenda.
Improved our processes and outcomes
We have taken time to evaluate our processes by considering the diverse needs of different applicant types – including community groups, schools, and clubs. This has helped deepen our understanding, and drive efforts to remove barriers within the application process. We have also commissioned an independent review of our end‑to‑end grant funding process, with a particular focus on improving outcomes for women and girls.
Stay informed and adaptable Understand external factors that impact our EDI initiatives and adjust our strategies accordingly, working with and learning from our partners and other like‑minded organisations.
Foster an open dialogue Encourage conversations that allow us to learn from diverse perspectives, strengthening our collective understanding.
Commit to continuous learning
Recognise that EDI is an area of ongoing change and learning, requiring a sustained commitment to both personal development and organisational progress.
Continue to challenge our processes and ways of working
The Foundation will continue to listen to feedback and work closely with our partners to help improve access to our grants and ensure that our grants have a significant impact towards tackling inequalities for communities.
Acknowledge that we have more work to do
The Foundation has been working to establish a baseline for better understanding the diversity of its workforce. This is a crucial step in identifying areas for improvement, ensuring representation across all levels, and shaping targeted actions that foster a more inclusive and equitable workplace for everyone.
The road ahead
We remain committed to becoming more representative of the communities we work with. We know that both football and the workplace are evolving, and we need to continue to adapt to ensure we are supporting the game and remain an inclusive employer. We will need to continue to listen and learn, to progress our thinking and adapt to challenges in the future.
Thank you to everyone for your ongoing support and commitment
Robert Sulivan CEO
Please see Appendix 3 for more details
When the Foundation launched Together for Football, it did so with the intention of being clear and open about its ambitions and putting a plan in place that would help create sustainable, long term cultural change. While it’s encouraging to see the progress which has been made so far, we also acknowledge that a small number of actions have taken longer to complete than originally anticipated.
Crucially, none of these actions will be left behind. Those outstanding will either be delivered imminently or integrated into our next EDI strategy.
Since 2023, the Foundation has responded to new opportunities and changing circumstances, taking on significant projects that were not part of our original plans. These additional initiatives have furthered our inclusion goals and demonstrated our ability, adaptability and ongoing commitment to meaningful change. These projects have included:
Women
and
Girls Review
by Kelly Simmons OBE
The Foundation commissioned a Review of its investment into the women and girl’s game, recognising the need to keep pace with its rapid growth and ensure our funding continues to deliver the maximum impact. Led by Kelly Simmons OBE, the Review assessed our end‑to‑end processes and systems, and included valuable external feedback from funders and stakeholders.
Focussed on grassroots football (up to but not including Tier 4 of the Women’s Pyramid of Football), the Review provided a series of recommendations to help build on the Foundation’s strong track record and better position ourselves to meet the future needs of the women and girls’ game.
Diversifying applicant types
This ongoing project seeks to analyse and broaden the types of organisations directly receiving investment across our funding programmes, ensuring they are more reflective of the communities we aim to serve. Through this process, our aim is to understand how we go further in delivering community sport and physical activity spaces in partnership with local people, identifying the barriers that may exist within our application processes. The project is focused on shaping more inclusive funding pathways and enhancing our engagement with a more diverse range of applicants to ensure investment is reaching those who need it most.
Demonstrating our impact
The Foundation has created a new Support and Impact Team, with improved post award process which will increase focus on measuring and monitoring grant impact. This will enable us to more effectively and routinely demonstrate and report on the outcomes achieved through our funding partner’s investment, improving our processes so that we can better measure our impact in terms of tackling inequalities and outcomes for women and girls.
Since the publication of Together for Football, there has been a concerted effort by teammates across the Foundation to work together to both create and get involved with a wide range of EDI initiatives. Initiatives launched so far include...
Together for people and new policy launches Together for People is our new team handbook. It’s a valuable resource designed to help teammates find their way around the Foundation – to learn and understand about our culture, the way we work, our policies and principles, and many more things that are helpful to have in one place. Since the launch of Together for Football we have also worked on updating some key people policies, ensuring we are using inclusive language, as well as introducing several new polices.
Programme of speakers for Squad Meet Ups
Squad Meet Ups are our regular all‑team get togethers. We bring the whole team together four times per year to inform, develop, collaborate and inspire, all in support of our culture and our team. This includes hearing from senior managers and teammates across the Foundation, as well as guest speakers. EDI topics have been covered at every Meet Up, giving teammates opportunities to learn about different topics and hear from a variety of voices from the world of sport and beyond. Teammates always have an opportunity to ask questions to help further contextualise the subject matter. In between Squad Meet Ups, teammates can engage with EDI content via initiatives such as ‘Friday Finds’ – a weekly collection of EDI related resources including, articles, podcasts, videos and more. The Foundation also hosts regular all team calls, these calls provide teammates with information about what has been going on across the Foundation, to ensure teammates feel connected and informed. Often all team calls are joined by external guest speakers who share their knowledge and experience on an EDI related topic.
Words Matter
Words Matter is an internal document designed to provide teammates with guidance on inclusive language. It pulls together references, drawing on information from expert organisations and individuals, to create a comprehensive reference guide. Words Matter helps teammates to think more carefully about the words they are using and to steer them towards inclusive terminology. As a result of Words Matter, teammates have reported an increase in confidence when talking about topics related to inclusion and diversity.
Refreshing our careers page Work has recently been completed on the first phase of updates to the Foundation’s careers page. These changes include a refreshed design aimed at making the page more user‑friendly and clearly communicating the Foundation’s values and culture to prospective applicants. Behind the scenes, the page is now integrated with an Applicant Tracking System, enabling us to collect more data about those who are applying for our roles, including diversity data. Over time, this will help us identify and track trends and tailor our recruitment strategies accordingly. The page also now features ReciteMe, an accessibility toolbar that supports a wide range of users, including those with learning difficulties (such as dyslexia), visual impairments, or language preferences.
Mental Health Ambassadors
Our Mental Health Ambassador network is a group of teammates from across the Foundation, who have volunteered to come together to support and develop activities to help us all take care of our mental health and wellbeing. Since the launch of this group, our Ambassadors have undertaken training; hosted ‘Share a Cuppa’ sessions (where teammates take a short break during the working day to check in with each other); coordinated the Foundation’s ‘RED January’ challenge, which focussed on mental wellbeing and movement involving teammates clocking up over 764.10 hours’ worth of collective physical activity; and developed ‘The Mental Health Corner’, a central resource with links to materials aimed at increasing awareness and education. This group has contributed to the planning of Squad Meet Ups, ensuring content related to mental health awareness has been on the agenda.
Friday Finds
Friday Finds is a curated selection of diverse and engaging materials focusing on EDI topics. The aim is to highlight current and compelling content that sparks conversation, broadens perspectives, and deepens understanding of crucial EDI issues. Each week, we present a mixed bag of “Finds” catering to various learning styles and time constraints. Whether teammates have a few minutes to spare or an hour to delve deeper, they’re able to find something to pique their interest. From timely news articles and thought‑provoking social media posts to informative podcasts and insightful book recommendations. Friday Finds has become a valuable resource helping teammates to stay informed, inspired, and knowledgeable on a broad range of topics.
Women and Girls Review
In response to the Karen Carney review, the Foundation commissioned Kelly Simmons OBE, to conduct an independent review of its investment into the women and girl’s game, recognising the need to keep pace with its rapid growth and ensure our funding continues to deliver the maximum impact. This Review involved both internal Foundation stakeholders, our Funding Partners, and other National Governing Bodies (NGB)s. The Review resulted in a comprehensive report including 22 recommendations, categorised into 9 key themes, to help the Foundation build on its strong track record. The Foundation worked quickly to establish a steering group, chaired by our CEO, to drive the recommendations forward.
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO WORK AT THE FOUNDATION
Our aim is to create a workplace where everyone can be themselves, uphold our Four Corners (our values) and be proud to say they work for a Foundation which is making a difference. Here’s what our teammates had to say in our most recent Squad Survey.
The compulsory EDI training was a great way to inform and educate around the EDI agenda and I think has been helpful in opening up cultural conversations that might have been worrying to raise previously.
Generally a fantastic place to work with amazing colleagues. Everyone really cares about what we do and is committed to our ongoing success.
I have seen that the Foundation has a very clear focus on improving its commitment to EDI and tackling inequalities.
I think the Foundation shows a strong commitment to EDI and tackling inequalities through the projects we fund where there are strong focuses on Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD) and women and girls and other inequalities.
What you think the Foundation does well?
Everyone at the Foundation is really passionate about what they do which is credit to the hiring process and the organisation’s purpose as a whole.
For internal culture and team togetherness the Squad Meet Ups have been a great introduction. The strategic updates at these is always a great way to get to understand where my job fits in with the overall purpose.
The Foundation is a great place to work that lives by its values. The culture in my team in particular is really good – they are kind, fun and respectful, which makes working with them amazing.
My experience has exceeded expectations and I genuinely love what I do, the way we are encouraged to work and the communication channels established by my direct line manager.
Inclusion and making people feel welcome. I have had line managers and CEOs in the past that have intimidated people. That isn’t the case here and everyone is treated with respect.
The culture at the Foundation is great and the work we do does have an impact on improving people’s lives. It is a brilliant place to work and I genuinely love telling people who I work for and I enjoying going to work.
Our Four Corners are the values we uphold as a Foundation. They describe how we go about our work, how we treat each other and how our teammates, and all those who interact with the Foundation, can expect to be treated. EDI is implicit throughout each one of our corners and by living up to them, we’re demonstrating our commitment to EDI.
BRINGING OUR VALUES TO LIFE
Over the course of Together for Football, we have looked for ways in which we can enhance our culture and bring our Four Corners to life. Here are some of the initiatives that have helped us to achieve this.
VIP Awards
WE ARE STAR PERFORMERS
We unlock the power of pitches. We transform lives and strengthen communities. Whatever position we play in, we always strive for excellence.
WE ARE A UNITED TEAM
We support each other and work together to deliver the greatest impact wherever it’s needed the most. Nothing brings people together like sport, and teamwork is at the heart of what we do.
WE ARE PASSIONATE SUPPORTERS
We support the game in any way we can. We make sure applicants access funding as easily as possible. We work with partners to deliver outstanding football facilities. We transform lives and communities on behalf of our Funding Partners.
WE ARE FAIR PLAYERS
Being inclusive and understanding diversity allows us to tackle inequalities through everything we do. We play fair regardless of gender, race, ability or place, from the star performers we recruit, to the way we work; from the facilities we fund, to the people who play on them.
Our VIP (Values in Practice) Awards are an opportunity to celebrate how teams and individuals bring our Four Corners to life, with nominations by teammates for teammates. Teammates who’ve modelled our values in their working behaviours, receive ‘shout‑outs’ and each Value category will be whittled down to one star performer, with ‘winners’ and one Golden Boot award for a teammate who has gone above and beyond in that year.
VIP Days
During our first Squad Meet Up way back in 2023, we spent the EDI related session brainstorming ideas in a ‘Dragon’s Den’ format. The session sparked lively discussions, followed by team members pitching their ideas. The winning idea centred around solving two key issues:
1. Creating stronger connections across teams, building an inclusive culture and addressing a challenge arising from our Squad Survey, which was to increase communication between teams.
2. ‘Do some good’ out in the community, more directly, bringing teammates closer to our core work. Offering an opportunity for teammates who don’t normally work together to get to know each other and to get out to see sites and projects they wouldn’t normally be able to.
VIP Days are teammate led; teammates organise volunteering opportunities and the Foundation supports groups of teammates by offering paid volunteer day time, lunch and reasonable travel costs.
Share a Cuppa
Share a Cuppa is an initiative we introduced during the Covid period to help teammates stay connected while working remotely. It’s become such a valued part of our culture that we’ve continued it ever since. The idea is simple: teammates sign up, and every month or so they’re randomly grouped and sent an email with all the details they need. Then it’s just a case of putting the kettle on and catching up over Teams—no work talk allowed. It’s a great way to take a break, get to know colleagues from across the Foundation, and strengthen connections in a relaxed, informal way
EDI KPI 1
There are two separate EDI related KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), which the Foundation measures on an annual basis.
The first EDI KPI is an internal inclusion measure. This KPI is compiled from our Annual Squad Survey data and designed to be a temperature check of how team members are feeling.
The target for each of the last 4 years has been 4.4 out of 5. The average considers 11 questions (see the question table later in this section), divided into 2 tiers of question; Tier 1 questions relate directly to a teammate’s sense of inclusion and belonging; Tier 2 questions also relate to inclusion and belonging, but less directly.
As such, Tier 1 questions carry a greater weighting on the average than Tier 2 questions. In 2023, the Foundation was slightly under target, at 4.3; in 2024, the average dropped to 4.2, and in 2025, the average has dropped to 4.1.
Below target
There are two observations to make:
Firstly, while we may not have reached our target score, we remain encouraged by the results. Whilst there has been a slight downward trend recently, 4.1 is still an indication that inclusion and diversity at the Foundation is perceived extremely positively.
In each case, the Tier 2 questions (i.e. the less directly related questions) have under‑performed the Tier 1 questions. This means that direct sentiment of diversity and inclusion, such as “I feel I can be myself” and “I feel comfortable expression my opinions and ideas” outperform the less directly related questions.
The Foundation’s goal will be to maintain or improve this average in the future.
EDI KPI 2
The objective of this KPI is to measure whether a project is on track to meet the target it had set as part of its application.
In January and February 2024, the Grant Assessment team undertook an exercise to understand how projects awarded since June 2023 are delivering against the Project Assessment Matrix around four key themes: Management, Multi‑Sport, Women and Girls and under represented groups (Disability, Lower Socio‑Economic Group opportunities, Diverse Ethnic Communities).
Data is taken from post award surveys conducted by the Grant Assessment Team, who are tasked with scoring funded facilities in relation to how well the facility is performing against the criteria that was set for the facility to benefit under represented groups.
In 2025 the Foundation exceeded its target by 8%, accessing 99 sites which had been awarded large grants within the current funding period.
Below target
Below target
SQUAD SURVEY DATA COMPARISONS
The table opposite highlights Squad Survey questions most closely related to inclusion. The results shown reflect a 3‑year average, with scores ranging from 3.9 to 4.7.
While over the course of Together for Football there has been some year‑to‑year fluctuation, these changes have been marginal. The averages provide a reliable picture of how our team feel about each area – and overall, the results present a very positive reflection of inclusion at the Foundation.
It is important to understand that a score of 5 is the highest possible score and 71% of these key questions are higher than a score of 4, with the remaining 29% of questions scoring no lower than a 3.88.
line manager’s behaviour role
inequalities, promoting inclusivity, and engaging under‑represented groups/ communities is central to the Foundation’s mission statement, aims, objectives, and processes
We are a United Team: Teamwork is the norm within my department – we support each other and work together 2024 Mutual support and collaboration between departments is the norm 2025
My team works effectively with other departments to achieve our goals
[This question was re‑worded twice between 2023 and 2025]
and leadership teams demonstrate that their commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI)
I understand and support the Foundation’s four corners (our company values)
I support and can explain to others the Foundation’s Four Corners (our
Inclusion
Maturity Model
Our Annual Squad Survey asks teammates where they think the Foundation sits on the Inclusion Maturity Model. The charts opposite illustrate how this has evolved over the course of Together for Football. It is positive to see that the number of teammates selecting the ‘inconsistent’ category has decreased from 23% to 9%.
*Strand specific refers to the nine protected characteristics detailed in the Equality Act 2010.
Embedded
Inclusion and diversity is seen as a major asset, truly embedded into all areas and considered in decision making. All employees see an inclusive culture as being beneficial and as their responsibility to maintain. Both employees and organisations reap the benefit.
Integrated
Inclusion and diversity is seen as a priority business matter. The culture shows clear signs of change. The lived experience for the majority of employees is positive and the actions of leaders and line managers match the corporate message of commitment.
Established
Business case established with support from leadership and champions within the organisation. Processes, systems and policies are in place, a programme of initiatives is designed which results in measurable progress but not all areas of the organisation are implementing established policies / processes effectively.
Inconsistent
Ad hoc programmes and initiatives, often strand* specific and unconnected.
No recognition of the need for inclusion and diversion activity.
Squad Survey question: In your opinion, where do you think the Foundation is on the inclusion maturity model?
In 2025, 87% of teammates select either ‘established’, ‘integrated’ or ‘embedded’, whereas 12% of teammates selected ‘tick box’ or ‘inconsistent’. None of our teammates selected the ‘avoidance’ option.
1 Training and Learning
Develop an organisation wide EDI training programme, mandatory for all teammates. Ensure EDI topics are firmly and consistently on our agenda. Our Squad Meet Ups (our all‑team get‑togethers) are an opportunity to discuss and explore EDI related topics and content, ensuring our messages and progress reach every teammate.
2 Improve our recruitment practices
Carry out a full review of our recruitment practises and our employer brand.
In Dec 2023 the Foundation partnered with Inclusive Employers to launch its year‑long bespoke training programme, mandatory for all teammates.
Since the launch of Together for Football EDI has featured in every Squad Meet Up event. We have heard from a range of speakers covering a wide variety of EDI subject matter. The Foundation has also provided a range of guidance and learning opportunities for teammates to participate in.
The Foundation procured organisational wide mandatory training that we referred to as ‘Conscious Inclusion Training’. This involved three 2‑hour sessions for every team member. Since the launch of Together for Football EDI has continued to feature in every Squad Meet Up event. We have heard from a range of speakers covering a wide variety of EDI subject matter. The Foundation has also provided a range of guidance and learning opportunities for teammates to participate in.
An initial recruitment review has been carried out and recommendations for improvements have been made within this report. The HR Team are now working to implement these recommendations.
Out of 20 recommendations we have currently completed 18, with two ongoing. More information on the recruitment review can be found in Appendix 4 – Recruitment Review.
3 Empower our Culture Champions and EDI Advisory Group (EDI AG) Develop and refresh our employee groups so that they are empowered and equipped to advocate for EDI and act as critical friends to the Foundation.
Both groups now meet regularly and help contribute to EDI related initiatives and policies.
Our EDI AG has established itself as a trusted resource for the wider team. The group has benefitted from training opportunities, helping individuals to upskill their knowledge and expand their understanding. The EDI AG is consulted on relevant HR policy and new initiatives and also plays a substantial role in supporting the organisation’s internal communications and events. This includes suggesting and securing guest speakers for Squad Meet Ups and our all‑team calls.
Our Culture Champions continue to support the Foundation with key pieces of work, such as our regular pulse surveys and Annual Squad Survey, where they have helped us to gain a deeper understanding of the survey data and its insights. The Culture Champions have also been consulted about key initiatives, such as the Foundation’s mentoring scheme.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
4 Diversity targets across the organisation
Our first task is to fully understand the makeup of the team and then we must work with our funding partners to align targets on EDI. A report on progress will be made annually.
The Foundation is in the process of procuring an applicant tracking system
ATS – recruitment software used to streamline the hiring process. This system will help the Foundation to further understand its reach in terms of attracting applicants and enable us to identify any trends within its recruitment processes.
The Foundation aims to set targets related to EDI in 2025 but will continue to report its diversity data annually.
Currently the Foundation measures its diversity make‑up against UK Census data to understand how representative of the UK population it is.
Going forward the Foundation will collect data from its recruitment software and set more specific targets related to recruitment when twelve months of data has been collected and analysed. Unfortunately, achieving this has been held up by a delay in the implementation of our ATS, having a knock‑on effect to this action.
The Foundation has however, collected and reported on the diversity data from our Board, Panels and Committees for the first time.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
7 Capture and share best practise on community engagement
Ongoing
5 Develop an internal mentoring programme
This new programme will focus on the development of teammates through the sharing of knowledge and experience. Teammates will learn new skills and be exposed to new areas of the Foundation, deepening relationships across the team.
In 2024, the Foundation launched its internal mentoring programme at a Squad Meet Up to gain interest. The idea of the programme is to formalise a mentoring opportunity for teammates who are keen to enter a mentoring relationship.
The Foundation’s mentoring scheme was well‑received by teammates. Due to high interest and changes in team membership during the period, the matching process took longer than initially expected. As a result, the scheme will now be rolled out in phases, with the first phase launched in June 2025. An evaluation of lessons learned from this initial phase will inform the next stage of the rollout, which is planned for later in the year.
Complete in terms of development and launch but the programme is ongoing and will be evaluated in 2025/2026.
6 Refresh our EDI policies and consider all Foundation policies in relation to EDI Ensure our policies are regularly updated, are EDI complaint, use inclusive language and are equitable for all teammates.
The EDI Lead is consulted on all new people related policies, and as current policies are periodically refreshed. This collaboration ensures inclusive language is used consistently and principles and approaches are reviewed through an EDI lens. Work on the Foundation’s new Teammate Handbook has included the development of an EDI section.
This action is now a regular part of our processes.
Knowledge about community engagement is shared, utilised and fully embedded across all programmes, ensuring that the knowledge and learning of our team develops.
The Grant Assessment Team has collected multiple case studies from beneficiaries detailing best practice examples of community engagement.
A community engagement working group has been set up to ensure community engagement learning opportunities are available for teammates to attend. Teammates are offered the opportunity to join frequent community learning workshops to hear from beneficiaries across the country.
The Foundation has developed and launched a Community Engagement Toolkit which is available for all applicants to access.
Standardised Submission Process
Our Community Engagement (CE) toolkit, guides applicants through various engagement methods, aimed at connecting sites to local communities and under represented groups. All sites which receive large grants are required to complete CE logs detailing their engagement activities and these logs must be uploaded alongside the grant application as part of the application process. Leadership and Team Development
A new Community Engagement Lead has been appointed, bringing with them expertise in EDI and our Community Engagement Team are now an integral part of our Delivery Team. This integration has been critical in enhancing the team’s confidence and capability in engaging our priority groups.
Enhancing Community Engagement Practices
Ongoing development of our community engagement approach has included:
▶ Proactive learning and shared good practice between Football Foundation PlayZone and Active Through Football projects.
▶ Creating opportunities to gather and share insights across the broader sports network, including Active Partnerships, National Governing Bodies (NGBs), County FAs (CFAs), and other place‑based partners. Integration into Key Meetings
Grant recipients are required to form a steering group which should have at least two meetings per year. These meetings are run by the grant recipients with County FA involvement for a minimum of one of the two meetings. It is now a condition of award for two representatives from the women’s game to sit on all grant recipient’s steering group meetings. The Foundation provide Steering Group ‘Terms of Reference’ for the Grant Recipients to adopt.
Community Engagement is on the agenda at the following meetings:
▶ All Game Plan Kick‑Off meetings that take place with the Grant Recipient when construction starts and continue to take place on a monthly basis. The purpose of these meetings is to prepare the Grant Recipients to achieve success from the moment they open.
▶ For the first three years after the pitch opens, the Foundation will lead Annual Team Talks to check in with the Grant Recipients to review progress supported with an Annual Impact Report.
Post‑Award Training and Support
Community engagement is now a core element of our new Support and Impact Team’s processes:
▶ To support effective collaboration with applicants in developing community engagement initiatives, the team will receive training on how to use the CE toolkit log, which applicants are required to submit as part of the application process.
▶ The team will emphasise the importance of consistent, ongoing community engagement throughout the project lifecycle.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
8 Develop Partnerships with external EDI experts and organisations Review different accreditations to benchmark, learn, improve and inform our thinking, and further understand our positioning as an organisation.
The Foundation has developed a partnership with Inclusive Employers and Inclusive Sport as part of a membership arrangement. The Foundation team benefits from access to various webinars and guidance documents.
The Foundation has also developed a relationship with an organisation called AKD Solutions, which provide the Foundation with support and guidance in relation to ongoing delivery and further development of our Together for Football strategy.
The partnerships which were established within the first year of Together for Football continue to prove helpful for the Foundation in expanding our learning. In the past year the Foundation has also explored new partnerships. One example of this is the Foundation working with The University of Greenwich and the Stephen Lawrence Foundation to develop an apprenticeship programme.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
12 Local Football Facility Plans (LFFP) template reviewed Reviewing our LFFP template annually to ensure that the context provided is an accurate and full picture of each local authority and that EDI and community engagement is embedded into the template.
The LFFP template has been updated to ensure the language used is inclusive. During 2024, the Foundation will review the template further, to ensure the template is using inclusive language, as well as stressing the importance of community engagement for all projects.
Following the Foundation’s review of Women and Girls’ (W&G) football, the Local Football Facility Plans (LFFP) template has been updated to reflect the growth in the W&G game, and to ensure plans are future‑proofed to accommodate Women and Girls’ football. The ‘off pitch’ section of our LFFPs has now been updated to better reflect and identify projects that benefit women and girls, people from Low Socio‑economic (LSEG) backgrounds, diverse communities and people with disabilities so that sites can be prioritised.
9 Develop a line manager charter
Line managers play a key role in ensuring teammates feel valued and that they can be themselves. A line manager charter will provide a quick reference guide to how to line manage inclusively.
10 Incorporate EDI content at Squad Meet Ups
As an organisation which has a proportion of remote teammates it’s important that EDI is firmly on the agenda when teammates come together.
11 Develop guidance resources for applicants, consultants and beneficiaries
Improve consultant knowledge on EDI related topics and community engagement through guidance and support.
This action is included within the Business Service Team’s business plan.
Since the launch of Together for Football EDI has featured in every Squad Meet Up event, EDI will continue to be on the agenda for these events and also for all‑team calls.
The Foundation’s Management Group is currently being consulted on a first draft of the charter, with a view to launching the charter before the end of 2025.
The Foundation has produced guidance as part of its Community Engagement Toolkit. This Toolkit is publicly available to all potential applicants and consultants.
Our Technical Team has also produced guidance on subjects such as disability sport on 3G pitches.
Throughout the last two years, the Foundation team has heard from a variety of EDI guest speakers and topics at every Squad Meet Up since the launch of Together for Football.
Our Technical Team has produced internal guidance for creating welcoming facilities for women and girls. To build on this, the team have undertaken CPD training on Inclusive Design and will refresh the guidance with a view to making it publicly available to all potential applicants and consultants.
13 Research our impact Develop formalised research with a university partner in collaboration with partners, to benefit our understanding of our impact.
The Foundation has been collaborating with Leeds Beckett University, to produce a research study into the effectiveness of the Foundation’s approach to community engagement within our Active Through Football Programme. The aim is to use the findings of this programme and feedback from a consortia of partners to enable the Foundation to inform future programmes.
The Foundation is also currently looking to bring in a research partner to analyse the impact of the Foundation’s PlayZone sites, once operational.
Leeds Beckett University has produced two reports for the first two years of the programme, and we are working to embed the learnings into the Foundation’s Community Engagement Toolkit.
A research partner has been appointed to carry out a longitudinal impact study. Within this they have developed a Theory of Change for PlayZones and have started their quantitative and qualitative data collection. The evidence from which, alongside other data capture, will be used in determining proof of concept for PlayZones.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
14 Data insight and development
By responding to what our research tells us, we’ll improve the data we collect to inform the allocation of funding, linked to need and seldom heard groups and users. Undertake a review of our current data, exploring a comparison between our intended outcomes vs actual outcomes and target site‑based project evaluation.
A new project is underway to review how the Foundation engages with our applicants after a grant award has been made, with the aim of gaining better insight into how sites are being used, and how sites are preforming against the commitments made within the grant applications.
Activity Booking and Data Collection
The Foundation has started to collect data on the types of recreational sessions being booked on sites through our activity booking system. This data collection includes:
▶ Programmed activities include: Walking football, recreational ‘turn up and play’, professional club foundation sessions, and sessions for refugee/asylum seekers.
▶ The system will capture booking data for key groups, such as women and girls, and players with disabilities.
▶ Diversity data on participants (rather than teams or activity) will be more of a challenge as this will rely on individuals self‑reporting personal information, this will continue to be a consideration for the Foundation.
▶ Provision for under‑represented groups will be reviewed during the annual support meetings held in the first three years of a project’s lifecycle.
Performance Monitoring and Learning
▶ Collected data will be used to compare actual usage with initial project assessments, ensuring that funded projects are delivering on their stated outcomes.
▶ Performance data will also guide the development of future projects by providing realistic benchmarks for setting goals and outcomes.
Technology‑Driven Access and Insight
▶ In response to the research on engaging priority audiences, PlayZones have implemented a mandatory smart gate access system.
▶ This system ensures safe, bookable sessions tailored to vulnerable and priority user groups.
▶ When combined with data from ClubSpark (our online booking system), the smart gate system provides valuable insights into site utilisation and engagement levels among priority audiences.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
16 Embed tackling inequalities measures into our performance framework Begin to benchmark and monitor progress on our EDI/ tackling inequalities measures. Define clear Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and methodologies.
All projects are assessed on how they will have engaged with local communities and how the project might serve under represented groups.
The Support and Impact Team for the first time in 2023, assessed facilities against a similar criterion to measure how the site is performing against these commitments.
Annual Support and Monitoring (Years 1–3)
▶ As part of the Foundation’s new Post Award offer, annual support day meetings will be held during the first three years of each project.
▶ These meetings will be informed by Annual Performance Reports, which track usage by priority groups against the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and growth targets outlined in the original application.
Performance Assessment Matrix (PAM)
▶ A new Performance Assessment Matrix is being developed to align with the initial project assessments.
▶ PAM will enable data‑driven monitoring by comparing the projected percentage of usage with actual usage recorded via the booking system.
Ongoing Monitoring (Year 4 Onwards)
▶ From year four onwards, Annual Performance Reports will continue to track a site’s usage.
▶ As part of the Foundation’s new Support and Impact Team’s offer, if a significant variance in usage is identified, particularly underperformance, a Support Day meeting will be triggered by the Support and Impact Team to address the issue.
17 New programme development
Develop an EDI framework for new programmes to ensure that they align to the Foundation’s EDI KPIs. This includes the application process development, programme criteria and assessment.
Work is due to start on this action during 2024. Over the course of Together for Football, the Foundation has worked to establish robust project management processes. When a new project is proposed part of the process requires the project owner to consider and report on any EDI implications the project might have. This is then fed back to the EDI Lead, for check and challenge. Since the launch of Together for Football, no new programmes have been developed, however because of the project management work, the Foundation is now in a better state of readiness to ensure EDI will be a consideration from the beginning.
18 New Programme Development
15 Develop an EDI evaluation framework
A small sample‑based evaluation framework will be developed to assess the impact of Foundation facilities and programmes, which can inform best practice.
We are currently in the process of selecting a research partner to undertake a study that will interview applicants, users, and surrounding communities about projects we’ve invested in, so we can better understand the benefits and impact we have had at an individual level.
An organisation has now been appointed as our research partner. The study will be initiated with a survey to help the Foundation gain understanding about sites. Next steps will include interviews and focus groups with the sites, with a report to follow.
Improve our understanding of recreational football and community lead football programmes, including multi‑sport and small sided provision. Identify the trends, patterns of engagement and need. Share best practice from this work explore how it fits into core Foundation funds.
The Foundation has made good strides with this particular action thanks to the work conducted as part of its Active Through Football Programme (ATF). ATF has created a community of learning which is sharing best practice from across different regional projects and also sharing these learnings with teammates to increase knowledge internally. Our ‘ATF playbook’ is designed to be a vital resource on how to replicate ATF delivery in other areas. Over the next 12 months as we start to open our PlayZone sites we will also provide further insight.
Active Through Football (ATF) learnings have been shared at County FA Regional Network meetings, with the Sport England Place Expansion teams and other regional and national partners. Foundation Teammates are working with colleagues at Sport England to use the learning from ATF to influence the wider football workforce. Learnings have also been shared across the PlayZones and Hubs programmes.
A small number of PlayZones have been opened throughout 2024 and 2025. As more PlayZones are delivered the Foundation will gain a deeper understanding of the trends and patterns involved in PlayZone usage.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
19 Develop our procurement process
Embed EDI into our procurement process, assessing the selection of partner organisation and suppliers with significant contract value.
Collate and access EDI documentation and information we receive from the procurement process or our existing suppliers.
With the support of a new software tool, the Foundation will be developing an Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) roadmap. This tool is designed to help organisations measure and manage sustainability across five themes: Climate, Environment, Social, Economic, and Diversity & Inclusion. During the pilot phase, the Foundation will use the tool to assess its own procurement processes and gain a clearer understanding of our position on EDI, before considering whether to extend its use to our wider supply chain.
The Foundation has engaged ESG specialists, FuturePlus, to help define our ESG ambitions. Our ESG roadmap will be presented to the Board in October 2025 for agreement. A key area of focus will be how we promote and support diversity and inclusion within our supply chains, aligning with The TFF action to embed EDI into our procurement processes.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
21 Project development and assessment
Update our project assessment matrix. Include detailed inclusivity questions based on measurable outcomes and tackling inequalities performance framework.
Identify specific points in the end‑to‑end process in which to scrutinise EDI and tackling inequalities parameters.
Review the terms and conditions of grant awards to stipulate clear EDI and governance related requirements and targets, throughout the lifetime of a project.
Update the project selection process to include targeted project‑based EDI and tackling inequalities outputs and outcomes.
There is a close working relationship between the Delivery Team and the Grant Assessment Team to ensure there is a consistent focus to challenge and check how sites approach both community engagement and the performance of sites once they are operational.
A Delivery Manager and Grant Assessment Manager will attend a Pre‑Opening Meeting with an applicant to provide a handover to the post award phase and to go through the expect outcomes and outputs relating to EDI and under represented groups.
Embedding Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) into Project Assessment
EDI Review of the Project Assessment Matrix (PAM)
▶ The PAM has been reviewed through an EDI lens to create a more comprehensive scoring system that better recognises efforts to tackle inequalities.
▶ The updated matrix highlights both engagement with priority groups and the importance of intersectionality.
▶ This approach raises the bar for applicants to demonstrate meaningful commitments to addressing inequality.
Diversifying Applicant Types
▶ A new initiative has been launched to critically assess and improve the Foundation’s delivery approach.
20 Build strong and mutually beneficial relations
With partner organisations and the banks we partner with to ensure these align with our own EDI strategy and work with them to improve our own knowledge and processes.
Our Finance Team has been in contact with HSBC and Barclays to discuss a number of topics including their position, plans and policies around EDI. Following these discussions both Barclays and HSBC have shared guidance documents with the Foundation so that we can further understand their approach to EDI and to learn from and advance our own approach where possible.
The relationships made between our funding partners and the banks we partner with remain strong and our knowledge has improved as a result. This will continue into our next strategy, and we will continue to build our network and look to share good practice.
In March 2025, we opened the new HSBC ESG account as planned.
We will continue to develop our investment policy prioritising ethical and sustainable funds.
We regularly engage with all our banking and investment partners (currently Barclays, Nationwide, Santander and HSBC) on their commitment to environmental sustainability, gender equality and workplace diversity.
The Grant Assessment Managers will then meet the sites post opening within a 6–12‑month period post opening and discuss a sites delivery of the outcomes and outputs and re‑score how the project is delivering against this, which enables an evaluation and understanding of any changes. Any sites which have been identified as underperforming against the pre agreed measures, would then go into a phase of intervention and support.
The Foundation has looked to identify sites which can provide specific case studies as examples of best practice around the delivery of EDI and under represented groups. These case studies would be shared with applicants as examples to highlight the valuable work which can be achieved.
▶ The project aims to enhance the accessibility and reach of grant funding by attracting a broader and more diverse applicant base.
Improved Application Process
▶ The application process and supporting resources are being re‑developed to reflect changes to PAM and any insights the Foundation gains from the diversifying applicant types initiative.
▶ The project is seeking to understand the barriers grant applicants may encounter and ensure we have a fair process for different applicant types, including, charities, community groups, Community Interest Companies. These improvements will:
▶ Help applicants better present their commitments to tackling inequality.
▶ Increase accessibility for a wider, more diverse range of applicants.
Ongoing
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
21 Project development and assessment
Continued.
Action 21 continued
Advancing the Women and Girls’ Game
An Independent Review was conducted by Kelly Simmons OBE.
In response to the rapid growth of grassroots football, the Foundation commissioned this project to independently review its investment and activities in the women and girls’ game.
The review produced several key recommendations, all of which the Foundation has committed to implementing.
Key Commitments from the Review include:
▶ Priority Access
All large‑scale projects must guarantee dedicated usage slots for women’s and girls’ teams.
▶ Female‑Friendly Facilities
A new small grants programme will be developed to support the creation of off‑pitch facilities, including changing rooms and toilets and other improvements designed with women and girls in mind.
▶ Strategic Planning
Local Football Facility Plans will be updated to reflect the growth of the women’s and girls’ game, with refreshed plans for every local authority in England due by June 2025.
FY25 Large Grant Criteria
All large grant‑funded projects in FY25 will be required to allocate a minimum of 15% peak usage to Women & Girls activity.
Select “Gold Standard” projects, aligned with the Lionesses Futures Fund
(supported by £25m Government and £5m The FA investment), that deliver on the following enhanced criteria:
▶ Opportunities
Inclusive programming that benefits the entire community.
▶ Priority Access
Guaranteed, protected slots at times that suit women and girls.
▶ Inclusive Football Facilities
Safe, welcoming environments for women and girls both on and off the pitch.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
22 Development of our post award review process
Our post award review process makes sure that applicants and facilities are meeting their grant award objectives and bringing about measurable change. The process will be developed to ensure that EDI is at the heart of this process.
EDI is a topic covered as part of post award meetings with grant recipients. Sites are scored against a matrix to measure the impact they are having. Our grant assessment team encourage recipients to continue community engagement once the site is operational. A full review of the Foundation’s post award function and process is currently underway, and EDI considerations are currently being discussed as part of this review.
New Post Award Process: Supporting Long‑Term Success
The Foundation’s new Post Award Process, led within the Support and Impact Team, introduces a structured framework to support funded projects from opening through the early years of operation. The process is designed to:
▶ Prepare grant recipients to successfully open and manage their facilities.
▶ Ensure the grant is used as intended, aligned with agreed project goals.
▶ Provide dedicated support during the first three years post‑opening, including County FA involvement in Steering Group meetings.
▶ Enable the Foundation to monitor site performance and gather insights to inform future project development.
Measuring EDI Progress Through Post Award Activities
EDI Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will be tracked through the following Post Award features:
▶ Pre‑Opening Meetings
The number of meetings will vary by facility type (e.g. up to four meetings for 3G pitch projects). A structured handover process is now in place, from the Delivery Manager to the Support and Impact Team ensuring all teams and sites know what is expected from sites.
▶ Annual Support Meetings (Years 1–3) Held during the first three years of a facility being in use. These meetings provide tailored support, monitor progress, and reinforce grant obligations.
▶ Annual Performance Reports
Drawn from booking system data, these reports will track project delivery against expected outcomes, with a focus on engagement of priority groups.
▶ Post Award Training for New Contacts Training sessions will brief new contacts on their project’s intended outcomes and EDI commitments. Emphasis will be placed on delivering against original grant obligations and promoting inclusive usage.
23 Support grantees to understand inclusivity outcomes of facility‑based investment
Ensure occupational structures at facilities are inclusive and accessible.
Guidance has been developed to provide a snapshot of key considerations an applicant should be thinking about for their project.
The Foundation has also produced specific guidance for Disability Football on 3G Pitches and internal guidance for our team to use in discussions on creating Female Friendly Facilities.
The Technical Team undertook professional development training on the subject of inclusive design, specifically that for the provision creating football facilities for women and girls, has been drafted in collaboration with The FA for publication externally.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
24 Co‑design principles firmly included within local community and users’ engagement
Ensuring safety, accessibility and an inclusive environment for all. Develop engagement with user groups and potential applicants to further understand barriers to funding and participation.
Engage a diverse range of communities and seldom heard groups in the application process. Understand the current data and insight on applicant type.
25 Review the impact of the PlayZone Programme
Identify lessons from the programme and measure if the target audiences access the facilities.
26 Review Sport England’s tackling inequalities impact from the multi‑sport pitch capital programme
Identify any lessons that could be built into our grass pitch programme. Ensure our volunteer groundskeeper plan has inclusivity objectives included within it.
Our Community Engagement Toolkit has been updated, housed digitally on our website and publicly available to anyone developing a Foundation application or operating sites. It helps to explain the principles of co‑design and support applicants to undertake community engagement.
The Toolkit is focused on diversifying proposed users and/or partners of a facility, rather than those directly receiving our investment.
An internal community of practice has been established to try and help build knowledge and understanding of good community engagement within the Foundation’s Grant Management Team.
Our internal Community Engagement community of practice continues to meet and share best practice throughout our network. The Foundation has created a new Community Engagement Lead position, to further support this action.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
Identify gaps in applicant engagement
Create a digital strategy to target seldom heard groups and under‑represented areas, aiming to increase website engagement and applicants.
As part of our Public Affairs campaign which launched in December 2023, we have targeted MPs across England and Local Authorities in the most deprived areas to highlight what opportunities were available in their area through their Local Football Facility Plans.
Our Let’s Go 2024! campaign, launched in January 2024, has highlighted all the funds available to clubs and organisations. As part of this we ran a paid social campaign targeting seldom heard groups and under represented areas informing them what funding was available.
Targeted Communications and Awareness Campaigns
To improve accessibility and drive funding applications from under represented groups, the Foundation has implemented a range of strategic digital and awareness‑raising activities:
Digital and Paid Social Campaigns
▶ We have developed inclusive and diverse content that resonates with audiences, encouraging applications from under represented groups.
▶ A targeted paid social media campaign is reaching seldom‑heard communities and areas with lower historic engagement, informing them of available funding opportunities.
From the Roots Up Campaign
This ongoing campaign specifically targets:
▶ All Members of Parliament (MPs).
▶ Local Authorities across England.
▶ The aim is to highlight the funding opportunities available through their respective Local Football Facility Plans (LFFPs).
The Foundation is currently looking to bring in a research partner to analyse the impact of the first set of PlayZones.
This project has been absorbed into the Longitudinal study (referenced in line 13) the first draft of the report is due in 2025.
Complete
Our aim has been to improve the quality of grass pitches in communities that are in most need and where the outcomes are greatest. Our approach has been twofold:
▶ Boost return to play post covid if there is evidence provided of lapsed participation in the locality, with the development plan that addresses this need.
▶ Increasing opportunities for at least one of the four Football Foundation priority audiences (women and girls, lower socioeconomic groups, people with disabilities and ethnically diverse communities).
Any MultiSport applicant (either Rugby Union or Rugby League) that now applies to our Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund will have to demonstrate how they increase opportunities for our priority groups.
The Multi‑Sport Grass Pitch Maintenance Fund is a £10.3m targeted investment, delivered by the Football Foundation and funded by Sport England (via National Lottery funding), designed to improve the quality of Rugby League (RFL) and Rugby Union (RFU) grass pitches. Over six years, the fund supports clubs with maintenance and machinery grants to tackle inequalities in access to quality playing surfaces.
Early data shows strong progress toward this aim: 91% of RFU and 88% of RFL‑funded projects prioritise Women and Girls; 73% (RFU) and 83% (RFL) focus on engaging Lower Socio‑Economic Groups; and a significant proportion also support Diverse Communities (58% RFU, 47% RFL) and Disability inclusion (26% for both codes). This investment is already helping clubs become more representative of the communities they serve.
▶ Following the 2024 General Election, there were targeted efforts with all new MPs to raise awareness and equip them to inform their constituents.
Content Creation at High‑Profile Events
We’ve captured and shared compelling content from major events to inspire and engage a wide audience, including:
▶ The opening of the Concord Youth Centre PlayZone, featuring Dion Dublin, EA Sports and diverse content creators.
▶ The launch of our Lioness Pitches, delivered alongside members of the England Lionesses team.
Promoting the Community Engagement Toolkit
▶ Ongoing promotion of the Community Engagement Toolkit highlights its value and ease of use.
▶ We continue to share success stories that demonstrate how meaningful and accessible local engagement can be when applying for Foundation funding.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
28 Share updates and progress on our EDI journey
Produce case studies and content achievements from EDI action plan externally. This will promote diversity and opportunities.
Teammates from the Grant Assessment team have identified 30 potential case study leads. From the 177 sites visited in 2023, approximately 19% responded that the site had a possible case study to share.
Our Communications Team have created 17 case studies this financial year, which covers all the diverse work we do and focuses on different communities in different areas across the country. Internally, we’ve supported the launch of Together for Football and included Words Matter on our internal portal.
Showcasing Impact Through Inclusive Content
The Foundation continues to highlight its commitment to diversity and inclusion through engaging, widely shared content:
Content Creation and Representation
▶ We have produced over 20 pieces of content showcasing the breadth of our work and the diverse communities we support across the country.
▶ Each piece was designed to reflect the Foundation’s inclusive approach and to raise awareness of our impact at a local level.
Lionesses Futures Fund Launch
The announcement of the first Lionesses Futures Fund sites, made alongside Leah Williamson, generated:
▶ Significant media coverage and became the most engaged social media post in Foundation history.
▶ This campaign played a key role in amplifying our message about making football facilities more welcoming and accessible for women and girls.
High‑Performing Case Studies
▶ A case study from our Active Through Football project in Hull has become one of our most‑watched videos on social media, resonating strongly with audiences.
▶ The opening of the Football Foundation Concord Centre PlayZone in central Birmingham featured a diverse group of interviewees, all of whom directly benefit from the new facility.
▶ These stories help bring to life the real‑world impact of our investment in inclusive, community‑led facilities.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
29 Improve engagement with events and campaigns Covering a wide range of EDI related topics, to raise awareness and ensure there are opportunities for teammates to engage internally as well as the external engagement.
The Foundation is a member of Inclusive Employers and as such gains access for teammates to a calendar of events and webinars for teammates to attend. Several of our teammates have embraced this opportunity for their personal learning and development, have attended these webinars and shared their insights with the wider team.
EDI is firmly on the agenda during all‑team calls and Squad Meet Ups and we’ve seen new initiatives well supported – such as a new mentoring programme and volunteer days.
Red January Wellbeing initiative
In January 2024 we launched an initiative for the Foundation to be involved with Red January. This involved teammates from across the Foundation, tracking exercise and activity on a virtual map, with the aim of collectively travelling as far as we could in the month.
Share a Cuppa
Share a Cuppa is an initiative which helps teammates from across the Foundation to connect and talk about anything but work in the form of an online coffee break. This initiative continued throughout the year, and we also added some walking versions and special edition Share a Cuppa event throughout the year to mark occasions such as mental health awareness week.
Calendar Events and awareness raising initiatives
We held events throughout National Inclusion Week, including speakers and activities. We did the same for Mental Health Awareness week. Our EDI AG also marked occasions such as Black History Month, International Women’s Day and Autism Awareness Day through internal communications.
VIP Volunteering Days
We held a volunteering day at a Primary School in London, helping turn the overgrown garden into a place for events. And we collected preloved football kit items to be donated to KitAid. These were both Values in Practice (VIP) initiatives organised by our teammates.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
30 Focus on developing the charity element of our brand Compliance with Charity Commission and wider third sector recommendations on EDI.
We have:
Increased number of charity titles on media list for coverage and campaign and secured coverage in these outlets.
Created an EDI page on our website where Together for Football is publicly available. Created an EDI film which has also been published on our website.
More collaborations with funding partners than ever before on external social channels for campaigns to ensure audiences know the Foundation’s status as their charity partner.
Working more closely with The FA internal communications team to highlight internally that we’re their charity.
We’ve entered our Active Through Football programme in the Tessa Jowell Social Impact Sport Industry Award. This award is for an organisation using sport as a vehicle to drive community change or development, diversity and inclusion through sport. We will continue to enter awards showcasing our work.
We receive regular coverage in charity trade outlets and continue to raise the profile of our work, highlighting the Foundation’s role as a grant funding organisation within the sector.
We’ve continued to engage with our funding partners to highlight our role as their charity.
The Foundation has also continued to enter industry specific awards with the aim showcasing and gaining recognition for our work.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
32
Develop and refresh the ‘Supporter’ programme to represent users and the wider work of the Football Foundation. Include facility managers, groundskeepers, coaches.
A review is underway of the disability football offering that takes place across our Football Foundation sites, and we will approach potential supporters to develop authentic partnerships.
Throughout 2023, we have worked closely with the Lionesses to showcase the Foundation’s funding of facilities that support the women and girls game through our ‘Here to Play’ campaign and Lioness pitch openings.
We have deepened our relationship with groundskeeper Supporters, developing campaigns that centre on the work they do.
We’ve deepened our relationships with the Lionesses in particular for the launch of Lionesses Futures Fund which demonstrates the Foundation’s commitment to supporting women and girls’ access to great places to play. Millie Bright was announced as one of our Supporters this season, pledging to support our work in ensuring that under represented communities can enjoy the benefits that playing sport can have.
Kelly Simmons continues her work with the Football Foundation launching her review into the Football Foundation’s funding into women and girls’ football with a day of national and regional media interviews.
This year we have started to work with the England Men’s team – a chance to share their diverse grassroots stories across our channels and the impact of our funding on communities across the country. This has included them talking about our Hubs programme in Sunderland, council estates in Sheffield to run down sports centres in East London.
We continue to work with our Supporter network across a variety of campaigns to demonstrate the impact of our funding and highlight our diverse funding opportunities e.g. John Ledwidge to Yorkshire and Dion Dublin to the Concord Centre’s Football Foundation PlayZone in Birmingham.
We’ve had several guest speakers across a variety of sports, Foundation programmes, partners and diverse backgrounds.
We’ve also begun work to onboard a former Lioness to our grants panel.
31 Review content partnerships Work with our content partners to ensure our communications are inclusive, accessible and reflect the diverse communities we support.
We have worked closely with Sported on the Community Engagement Toolkit to ensure the information reflects the diverse communities we support.
We’re implementing the information from our ‘Words Matter’ guidance document across our content to ensure we’re talking to people in an informed and engaging way.
We’ve worked with partners to have a diverse range of well‑known faces and influencers join us at site openings and have benefitted from them amplifying our voice. This has included Anton Ferdinand and Bobby Zamora at The Bobby Moore Hub in East London, Rachel Brown Finnis in Lancashire and Wes Morgan in Leicestershire.
We’ve worked with content creators such as Rhyanna Parara, Alex Bailess and ‘She’s A Baller’ on the opening of Lioness pitches. Nubaid Haroon and Daniyal Khan supported the Football Foundation PlayZone opening in Birmingham.
We’ve also collaborated more than ever with Funding Partners social channels which helps to widen our message to different audiences.
Action 2024 Update 2025 Update
33 Promote our applicant and scheme guidance documents widely Seek to understand what other guidance could be useful to applicants.
We have created the first set of automated applicant emails linking to guidance and ensuring everyone gets the same information.
We are currently working with our Finance Insight and Technology team to implement this first set of automated emails and we will continue to develop the next set of emails.
To support applicants in undertaking community engagement as part of their grant application, we’ve launched a Community Engagement Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to help transform connections and relationships, enabling greater collaboration between facilities and local people. We have created a website news story informing people about the Toolkit and will continue to push this message on our social channels through specific posts and through strong Community Engagement case studies.
The new Support and Guidance section on our website is in development to launch Spring 2024.
34 Review the website from an EDI perspective
Ensure the website is accessible and user‑friendly as possible.
We are working to review our website accessibility and implement any recommendations.
We’re launching a new Support and Guidance section on our website to provide useful information to grant applicants and recipients at every stage of application development and post grant award.
Teammates are working to create a documents for grant applicants including guidance on making women and girls’ facilities more welcoming and tips for raising match funding.
35 Create an EDI glossary of terms
This will be a quick reference guide for teammates to look up various terms related to EDI, to enable teammates to be confident in their use of language and terminology.
Words Matter was published internally for the use of Foundation teammates in Aug‑23. This guide is designed to help teammates think more about the words we use and to steer us towards inclusive terminology.
We’re committed to making our website as accessible as possible so everyone can use it. In the last year, we’ve made improvements to ensure all pages meet the Priority 2 (Level AA) checkpoints of the World Wide Web Consortium’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.
We’ve introduced the Recite Me language and accessibility tools to make it even more accessible and inclusive for as many people as possible. Users can now access a customisable toolbar to read and understand content in a way that suits their needs e.g. with a screen reader, live translation and reading aids.
Completed in August 2023, work is done periodically to refresh and renew this document, ensuring we keep up to date with best practice.
Collect diversity data from our Board, Panels and Committees.
2.
Pre‑interview Implement an Applicant Tracking System (ATS).
Understanding of the diversity of the Foundation’s non‑executive directors and decision makers, enabling the identification of any characteristics which may currently be under represented so that initiatives and action may be developed.
The Foundation has collected and reported on the diversity data from our Board, Panels and Committees for the first time.
This action has helped the Foundation to gain a greater understanding of the diversity of the Foundation’s non‑executive directors and decision makers, enabling the identification of any characteristics which may currently be under represented so that initiatives and action may be developed.
Process Recommendation Intended Outcome
4.
Pre‑interview Update and improve the careers page of the Foundation’s website, to provide potential candidates with an understanding of the Foundation’s culture, values and to provide responses to frequently asked questions.
Provide applicants with more information about the Foundation to help them gain a better understanding of the Foundation and the role they are applying for. By making the careers page easier to navigate and more accessible the desired outcome will be that more people apply for roles within the Foundation.
Additional notes and progress reporting
Work has been done to improve the look, feel and accessibility of the Football Foundation website (including the careers page). The Foundation’s Careers page has benefitted from a refresh and updates promoting the Foundation as an inclusive employer and allowing candidates to utilise the Recite Me accessibility toolbar.
3.
Pre‑interview
Add in interview dates to adverts or job packs.
Diversity data collection will increase from an average of 38% to closer to 100% (including candidates who select the ‘prefer not to say’ option). Diversity data collection from job applicants will increase because candidates will be required to submit a diversity data collection form as part of the recruitment process. This will mean that the Foundation will have a clearer picture of the diversity of applicants that the Foundation is attracting and will be able to identify any trends through the recruitment and selection process so that further efforts can be made to reach a diverse talent pool.
Helps people to plan their time, this could benefit many groups of people including, parents, people with caring responsibilities or people with neurodiversity.
The ATS has now been implemented, and data collection has increased.
5.
Pre‑interview
Include details about how the role fits into a team (organogram charts included).
This action is now a regular part of our process.
6.
Pre‑interview
Give opportunities for people to spell their name phonetically. The panel could also be encouraged to utilise an appropriate online tool.
7.
Pre‑interview
Add additional wording to applications explaining our commitment to EDI and welcoming candidates from diverse backgrounds.
8.
Pre‑interview
Collect data on socio‑economic background as part of the application process, alongside the other diversity data we collect.
Helps people to understand where the job sits within the organisation, this can help people understand the hierarchy of the organisation and potentially show future progression opportunities. Organograms are now included in job packs as standard.
Provides confidence to the panel that they will pronounce the interviewee’s name correctly, making the candidate feel more comfortable and welcome.
By making our intentions open and transparent we are seeking to attract a more diverse pool of candidates to our vacancies.
Further insight and understanding about the make‑up of the Foundation, enabling the identification of any characteristics which may currently be under represented so that initiatives and action may be developed.
The Foundation will ask the following questions related to socio‑economic background within its recruitment process and for teammates:
1. What was the occupation of your main household earner when you were aged about 14?
2. Which type of school did you attend for the most time between the ages of 11 and 16?
3. If you finished school after 1980, were you eligible for free school meals at any point during your school years?
A link to names.org (a website which reads names aloud for accurate pronunciations) is shared with hiring managers prior to interviews.
The Foundation now makes it clear that we are an inclusive employer with inclusive recruitment practices on all job packs.
The Foundation has added questions related to socio‑economic background to its diversity data collections for teammates, board and panel members.
9.
Pre‑interview
Allow potential applicants to gain insight about the culture of the Foundation via a film focused on culture.
Provide applicants with an insight into the Foundation and what it’s like to work for the Foundation, which could help to attract more applicants.
Pre‑interview
On a quarterly basis, conduct spot checks on a selection of job descriptions and job adverts, checking for inclusive language.
Job specifications should be drafted in plain English and provide an accurate reflection of essential and desirable skills to ensure applications from a wider set of individuals.
The Foundation is commissioning a culture film and other assets to add to our careers page; however, the timescale has been delayed due to other commitments.
Process Recommendation Intended Outcome
14. Interview Process
11.
Pre‑interview
Produce a document which explains why diversity is collected by the Foundation, covering what data will be collected and who will see it.
Increase the understanding of the benefits of providing personal diversity data and in turn increase the return rate of diversity data from teammates within the Foundation.
The Foundation’s HR Team and EDI Lead now support recruiting managers to review job packs from an EDI perspective, checking and challenging the process.
15. Interview Process
Ensure we cover reasonable costs of transport to and from interviews for candidates who are required to attend in person.
Cost of transport will not be a barrier to someone looking to attend an interview.
Ideally most interviews are now (in the first instance at least) conducted online, this is often the least disruptive way to conduct an interview from a candidate perspective, it can also help to relax candidates and there are benefits to disabled candidates and candidates with caring responsibilities. However, during times when face to face interviews or second stage interviews are required, the Foundation ensures it is covering reasonable expenses, as per its expense policies.
Ensure a diverse interview panel (i.e. no all male panels). Look to include external representation, when possible, to increase diversity of panels also.
A document has now been produced and can be utilised by both existing teammates.
More diversity on the panels may help candidates to feel they see themselves reflected in the Foundation and as a result feel at ease and can see themselves working at the Foundation. Increasing diversity may also help to challenge unconscious bias.
The Foundation is now taking the diversity of panels into account and complying to this requirement wherever possible.
Pre‑interview
Mandatory inclusive recruitment and unconscious bias training for those with a role in the recruitment process.
Reduce the risk of bias within recruitment decision making and equip recruitment panel members with the tools to check and challenge bias when they perceive it.
Unconscious Bias (UB) was a key concept included within our Conscious Inclusion training programme to raise awareness of the types of bias which can be experienced. More importantly participants talked through how to mitigate risks of bias in decision making.
The HR Team have also created UB content for recruitment managers to utilise.
13.
Pre‑interview
Challenge school and university selection bias: All employers should critically examine entry requirements into their business, focusing on potential achievement and not simply which university or school the individual went to.
Increases the chances of employing more diverse candidates.
This action is covered in Action 10. The HR Team now regularly works with recruiting managers to ensure education requirements are appropriate.
16. Interview Process
Ask questions related to inclusion and our four values as part of the interview process.
This will help the panel to access the candidate’s attitude to inclusion and whether or they share our values.
The HR team provide guidance for recruiting panels on what questions could be asked and what a model response would be.
17. Onboarding
In the first week of a new teammate starting, send them a physical copy of Together for Football, alongside a welcome note, and other key documentation.
Providing a physical copy of Together for Football cements the idea that this is a crucial document to become familiar with. This could help to make clear what our values are and what is expected of all teammates in terms of playing their part.
Teammates receive a welcome pack with resources and materials.
18. Onboarding
Collect data from an onboarding survey and check for trends and suggestions.
To gain insight on the onboarding process, identify any flaws or opportunities to improve the process.
We have now developed a more consistent schedule in terms of surveying our new starters and putting this feedback into action.
Process Recommendation Intended Outcome
19. Onboarding
Refresh the Foundation’s EDI induction presentation to incorporate learning from the Conscious Inclusion training course and latest thinking.
20. Bench marking and external initiatives
Identify and explore the suitability of independent benchmarking schemes and memberships such as Disability Confident, London Living Wage and Inclusive Employers.
Provide teammates with a comprehensive understanding of the Foundation’s approach and commitment to EDI principles. Provide teammates with an overview of key principles and context within football.
The EDI induction is now updated and rolled out to all new starters within the first two weeks of joining the Foundation. Follow up links and resources are sent to participants so they can access additional learning in their own time.
Complete
The EDI and HR Teams will access the scope and benefits of various benchmarking and membership schemes to determine the benefits and suitability for the Foundation; the Foundation will then implement the schemes which will prove to have the most benefit and suitability.
Living wage
The Foundation is already compliant in terms of rates of pay for living wage and the Foundation is considering the benefits of signing up to the official scheme.
Inclusive Employers
The Foundation is currently a member of Inclusive Employers. This membership provides access to latest thinking and good practice examples on recruitment issues. The membership also covers a myriad of other inclusion topics, guides, webinar access and access to case studies.
Disability Confident
This a government scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. Aimed at attracting more candidates with disabilities and to send a message that we are an inclusive employer. Signing up to this scheme will require some changes to our recruitment processes, so the HR Team, will consider what changes need to be made before sharing a proposal with the Foundation’s Senior Management Team for approval.
Teammates
5
The Foundation is committed to improving the diversity of our workforce. We believe that diverse organisations are more likely to perform highly in terms of resilience, creativity, problem solving and productivity.
We want to be accountable, so the Foundation will report annually on our progress. Our understanding of diversity goes beyond the nine protected characteristics, so as part of Together for Football the Foundation committed to collecting data related to socio‑economic background for the first time in 2024 for both our teammates and boards and panels.
The following data sets compare snapshot data taken in October 2022 (*closest snapshot to the launch of Together for Football March 2023) with March 2025 snapshot data to cover the lifespan of Together for Football.
Understanding this data
The number of teammates has grown by around 31% between October 2022 and March 2025, which means that in almost all cases the actual figures behind the percentages have also increased.
This data is collected on a voluntary basis, teammates have the choice to submit their data via the Foundation’s HR system, therefore neither dataset provides a complete picture, although the Foundation has worked hard to explain the merits of data disclosure and to be transparent in describing how the data will be reported.
Teammates may have opted to respond to some questions and not others.
Due to rounding, some totals may not correspond with the sum of the actual figures.
The Foundation recognises that in terms of both ethnicity, cultural heritage and the LGBTQIA+ community that there is a breath of differences within the identities included in the following groupings ‘* Black, Asian Mixed, Other*’, ‘White’ and ‘LGB’. The groupings are only ever used for data reporting purposes, so that individuals cannot be identified within small datasets.
* Black, Asian Mixed, Other* contains: Asian or Asian British (Bangladeshi; Chinese; Indian; Pakistani; any other Asian background), Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups (White and Asian; White and Black African; White and Black Caribbean; any other Mixed or Multiple background, Black, Black British, Caribbean or African (African background; Caribbean; any other Black, Black British or Caribbean background).
** White contains: White (English, Welsh, Scottish, Northern Irish or British, Irish, Gypsy or Irish Traveller, Roma, any other White background)
***LGB includes the options: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Other
Before Together for Football After Together for Football
Disability or long‑term health condition
Before Together for Football After Together for Football
Sexual orientation
Before Together for Football After Together for Football
Ethnicity and cultural heritage
Before Together for Football After Together for Football
There is minimal difference between the two datasets. The proportion of women within the Foundation is 2% lower than in 2023, with a 1% increase in people choosing the ‘prefer not to say’ option. However, it is important to note that the overall number of women working at the Foundation has increased, in line with the growth in the total workforce.
Again, there is a minimal difference between the two datasets, with a 1% decline in the percentage of people selecting both the ‘yes’ and ‘no’ option to but a 2% increase in people selecting the prefer not to say option.
After Together for Football As this data was not previously collected, no comparisons can be made. To protect anonymity, the Foundation does not report on data where fewer than five individuals are represented.
There is minimal change between the two datasets, with the percentage of people identifying as straight or heterosexual remaining at 5%. There has also been a slight increase in the number of ‘prefer not to say’ responses.
There is no change in the percentage of people selecting the ‘prefer not to say response and a more significant increase of 4% in the percentage of people selecting Black, Asian, Mixed and Other. And a reduction of 5% in the percentage of people selecting White.
Leadership
This dataset is comprised of members of the Foundation’s Senior Management Team and Management Group. This data is collected on a voluntary basis, teammates have the choice to submit their data via the Foundation’s HR system, therefore neither dataset provides a complete picture, although the Foundation has worked hard to explain the merits of data disclosure and to be transparent in describing how the data will be reported. Teammates may have opted to respond to some questions and not others. Due to rounding some totals may not correspond with the sum of the actual figures.
Boards and Panels
One commitment within Together for Football was to collect this data for the first time, including social‑economic background data for the first time. Therefore, there is currently only one dataset. The Foundation is committed to collecting this data bi‑annually (as turnover is low). This data set is comprised of members of the Football Foundation Board of Trustees. Grants Panel and Audit, Remuneration and Governance Committee.
Socio Economic Data
As part of Together for Football, the Foundation is committed to the task of collecting and reporting on data related to socio economic background. The results of which can be found below:
Leadership
This dataset is comprised of members of the Foundation’s Senior Management Team and Management Group. What
All Teammates
Boards and panels
What was the occupation of your main household earner when you were aged 14?
Clerical and intermediate occupations
I prefer not to say
Long‑term unemployed (claimed Jobseeker’s allowance or earlier unemployment benefit for more than a year)
Modern professional and traditional professional occupations Below
Other such as retired, this question does not apply to me, I don’t know
Which type of school did you attend for the most time between the ages of 11 and 16?
