3 minute read
FOCUS ON THE FUNDING PARTNERS
The Football Foundation is a unique public-private partnership that is funded by the Premier League, The FA and the Government, through Sport England. Each year, the Football Foundation supports community sports projects worth more than £100m. Grants that we award are increasing the capacity and improving the quality of local football facilities in this country. The Foundation maximises our Funding Partners’ generous contributions in three ways. Firstly, we nearly double their initial investment by using it to attract additional partnership funding from local authorities, councils and other grant-giving bodies. Secondly, the Foundation targets that investment into projects that are located in areas of greatest need and that will deliver the greatest impact and return in terms of overall outcomes. Thirdly, we work with each applicant to develop a bespoke five-year Football Development Plan (FDP), which is a vision of how sport will be played at newly enhanced sites with an emphasis on increasing participation. These FDPs are then monitored and enforced for a minimum of 21 years to ensure that each project is achieving their targets.
RICHARD SCUDAMORE
Executive Chairman, Premier League
“The Premier League is committed to supporting community football facilities across England and Wales. The significant investment of the League and our clubs in the Football Foundation since 2000 has funded thousands of local pitches that provide high quality and safe places for people to play our national game.
“Our clubs also deliver a range of programmes that encourage young people to play football, including the social inclusion project, Premier League Kicks, which is run by 69 Premier League and EFL clubs, and the Premier League Primary Stars initiative - which has engaged more than 15,000 schools - helping inspire children in everything from maths and English to teamwork and sports. Such projects and many others across the country, are increasingly taking place on Football Foundation-funded sites.
“This document also highlights the Premier League Primary Stars Kit and Equipment Scheme, which has seen more than 7,500 free football strips and equipment packs supplied to primary schools across England and Wales. This is just one of the ways our clubs inspire and encourage young people to reach their potential in the classroom and on the playing field.
“This has been my last year as a Trustee of the Football Foundation. It has been a privilege to work with the organisation for the past 18 years, and I want to thank all Premier League clubs for their continued support for its work and The FA and DCMS for their commitment as fellow funding partners. Huge credit must also go to the Foundation’s staff who work so hard with stakeholders from across local government and amateur football to get this funding to the places where it is needed most.”
MARTIN GLENN
CEO, The FA MIMS DAVIES MP
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Sport and Civil Society
“After the England Men’s Senior’s success at the FIFA World Cup this summer, positivity surrounding football is as high as I can remember in my time at The FA.
“People up and down the country got behind the team and witnessed the raw passion and unrivalled joy that football can bring. We want to see this continue and it is therefore essential that we capitalise on that goodwill and make this a watershed moment for football in England.
“By providing the Football Foundation with the funding necessary to deliver state-of-the-art facilities, we can ensure that as many people as possible are able to experience this same level of enjoyment, no matter what their age, ethnicity, gender or ability.” “The Government’s investment through the Football Foundation is ensuring that hundreds of thousands of people each year are also able to feel the benefits of football and other sports in high-quality community venues.
“As well as supporting the physical and mental health of the individual, this work also impacts society as a whole in a positive way. There is an economic benefit, as every facility that our funding through the Foundation develops, also creates jobs during construction and throughout its operation after it has opened. With a large proportion of sites being developed in the top 20% most deprived communities across the country, our investment also brings a significant regenerative effect.”
