PLAYZONE PROGRAMME WORKSHOP March 2022
Welcome team! Welcome team! Football Foundation — Grass Pitch Revolution
WORKSHOP AGENDA
Background
Investment priorities
Application process & Timeline
Insight
Key criteria
PlayZone programme overview Targeted approach
Activation & Business plans
Next steps
Background
BACKGROUND
o The Football Foundation is the Premier League, The FA and the Government’s charity. o We exist to improve grassroots football facilities. o The Foundation has invested more than £710m of the Partners’ funding over the past 20 years in to more than 17,000 projects. o The Government has confirmed additional funding of over £200m to football facilities 2022-25 o Our new investment plan strongly aligns the investment from all Funding Partners towards Uniting The Movement, delivering a new multi-sport approach and a unified focus on tackling inequalities.
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
TACKLING INEQUALITIES
Priority groups Investment will focus on: Women & Girls, Disabilities, Diverse Ethnic Communities and Lower Socio-Economic Groups. All projects will engage with these groups with at least 75% providing sustained outcomes. Equal access for girls Investment will ensure that every girl has the same opportunity as every boy to play football both at their school and local club. Targeted investment Investment will be priorities into communities that are most in need and where the greatest outcomes will be achieved. Community engagement Community engagement is fully embedded within our processes. Ensuring local groups are involved in project development, helping to tackle inequalities locally and inform the range of sports and activities at facilities.
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Investment priorities
INVESTMENT PRIORITIES
o Football-led investment with a multi-sport benefit for at least 30% of investment (rising to 40%)
Facility type
o Tackling inequalities within underrepresented groups o Greater focus on recreational forms of football and other sport/activities, particularly through small-sided facilities o Community Engagement embedded into our end to end application process for all facility types o Prioritising investment into communities with the greatest need
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
21–22
22–23
23–24
24–25
Total 23-25
3G AGPs
48
71
100
101
272
Changing facilities
51
59
83
84
227
2,000
2,000
2,000
2,000
6,000
0
50
130
146
326
Grass pitches Small-sided
SMALL SIDED FACILITIES
Our approach so far… o Umbrella term to describe the different formats of the small-sided game; from teams and leagues to recreational and informal o Significant market of 13.1m people in England o Insight gathered over a number of years to understand the different formats, customer segments and their preferred facility types o Investment opportunities captured through LFFPs o This facility type offers a significant opportunity to tackle inequalities and provide multi-sport benefit o This is the facility type we know the least about. We commissioned further research to review existing insight and fill gaps in knowledge and design facility types reflecting the findings of that research o This research provided the key ingredients which enable small-sided and multi-sport facilities to succeed Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Insight
CRITICAL RESEARCH FINDINGS
o One size does not fit all o It’s in communities, and organisations within them, where the inequalities specific to that area can be best understood, and where the best prospects of tackling them lie o The best community projects are designed and delivered in partnership with the community o Targeted groups are more likely to take part if they’ve been included in the development o We need to work differently with the communities meeting them where they are at, in a more bottom-up approach o For many of the communities we are trying to engage, we know that a recreational offer is important to reach the target audiences o Activation of the space is as important as the facility itself.
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
ACTIVE THROUGH FOOTBALL - LEARNING
o Consortium approach – testing and success of consortium approach e.g. new partners working together, insight, input from community orgs etc. o Community engagement – testing toolkit and approach o Focus on priority groups and places – best results coming from clear focus on these ‘narrow the focus’ o Need for project management and community engagement support o Recreational football – confirms our insight that this form of game is popular with priority groups and key to increasing activity
‘We held a number of local conversations to gain insight for the application. The leadership was distributed across a number of partners and we gained some really good knowledge. This is the impact of a consortia approach.’ Active Partnership
‘Bringing a number of key organisations (whom deliver on a variety of key aims to support the city) together who would not normally join up to co-produce or collaborate.’ CCO
‘With cuts to funding it is impossible to work alone so working with the consortium members provides an opportunity to collectively make a difference.’ CCO
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
‘Having a diverse group from a variety of backgrounds and experience and looking at a bottom up approach rather than a top down. Allowing the project to be led by real people that it will have the greatest impact on.’ Local Authority Sports Development Team
‘We are a Volunteer Centre that works closely with community groups and volunteers in our local area, so can offer a different perspective for the project.’ CVS
SMALL-SIDED TECHNICAL DESIGNS
Using the learning gathered to date, Sports Labs were instructed to engage key sports National Governing Bodies and produce some key design principles These design principles are based on recreational football plus at least one other sport Working collaboratively with the Basketball England, England & Wales Cricket Board, England Hockey, England Netball, Rugby Football League and Rugby Football Union to agree design requirements for recreational forms of their sports (e.g. surface types and line markings). These are reflected in the agreed designs.
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
WHAT IS A PLAYZONE?
PlayZones are modern, safe, and engaging facilities. We want this to be reflected in the design and settings for these facilities. PlayZones are designed for recreational football and at least one other sport. There are a range of facility types to meet the needs of different sports. Further design guidance will be shared later and these pitch designs are for illustrative purposes only
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
WHAT DO WE WANT TO ACHIEVE?
330 PlayZones by 2025
Community-led facilities
Local opportunities
Floodlit facilities
including both new build and refurbishments of existing spaces
Community Engagement central to the programme and project development process
Helping local communities to play recreational formats of football, as well as participating recreationally in other sports and physical activities
Floodlit facilities that allow for community use day and night, all year round
Multi-sport benefits
Engage with priority groups
Targeted activation
Deliver multi-sport benefits and tackle inequalities in priority groups and places
Targeted approach to engage with lower socio-economic groups, women & girls, disabled people, ethnically diverse communities
Delivering activities that meet the needs of priority groups
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Strategic Mapping Pilot Birmingham, July—October 2021
BIRMINGHAM PILOT - THE BRIEF
Sport England and the Football Foundation commissioned SDY Consultants to develop a strategic planning approach regarding smallsided football and multi-sport facilities. The brief comprised: o Lead a strategic mapping exercise pilot in Birmingham, identifying priority audiences and places for potential SSF investment. o The development of a strategic planning framework, reflecting the learnings from the Birmingham pilot work, that can direct and support the delivery of capital investment into small-sided facilities through a community and development led approach.
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop Football Foundation — Yearly Report
BIRMINGHAM PILOT - THE BRIEF
The following approach for the pilot project was agreed and implemented: Model: The diagram represents a topdown approach which would allow clear identification of priorities – starting nationally but quickly moving down to local. Once priority audiences are clear, then the model shows how the approach would be locally developed to ensure community engagement, activation & management that fits with the appropriate national. Regional & local priorities.
Bottom up to develop, activate and co-design
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop Football Foundation — Yearly Report
Top down to set strategic priorities
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
National priorities via Sport England, Football Foundation, NGB’s
Regional priorities via Active Partnerships, Regional Sport bodies (CFA/ECB)
Local priorities through mapping via Local Authority, CCO’s, community groups, health partners, housing associations
Micro — focusing on co-design, activation & facility management via local partners or community leaders
Support tools — aimed specially to support orgs at Step 3 & 4
BIRMINGHAM PILOT – CONSULTATIONS
Key Local & Regional Partners
Consulted National Governing Bodies
Consulted Local & Regional Groups
Sport Birmingham (lead)
England & Wales Cricket Board
The Active Wellbeing Society (TAWS)
Birmingham City Council
England Netball
Muslim Sports Foundation
Aston Villa Foundation
England Hockey
West Bromwich Albion Foundation
Birmingham City Community Trust
Rugby Football Union
Birmingham FA
England Basketball
Warwickshire Cricket Board Edgbaston Foundation
Following initial consultations, a group of local and regional organisations emerged as key partners for the work. Sport Birmingham were engaged as lead partner.
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop Football Foundation — Yearly Report
BIRMINGHAM PILOT – KEY LEARNINGS
Learnings from the Birmingham pilot were split into seven key areas as follows:
1 5
Stakeholder engagement & consultation
3
Community engagement
Multi-sport perspective
6
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop Football Foundation — Yearly Report
2
Strategic priority mapping
4 Facility management support
Site identification
7
Activation support
BIRMINGHAM PILOT – KEY LEARNINGS
1 Stakeholder engagement & consultation
A city-wide strategy or plan for sport and facility investment is essential to enable an applicant to be ‘funding-ready’. Football Foundation should provide clear guidance and support for required community engagement. Defining roles within early stage of the consortium development is essential to ensure effective collaboration and leadership.
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
BIRMINGHAM PILOT – KEY LEARNINGS
2 Strategic priority mapping
Narrowing the focus of local partners is recommended to encourage prioritisation. Use of a mapping tool is essential - in Birmingham, the desktop approach (using wards, IMD and ethnicity data) broadly aligned with priority areas identified by local partners. However, data on people with a disability was difficult to obtain. Desktop mapping will need to be supplemented by local maps/knowledge of existing SSFs and potential new sites.
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
BIRMINGHAM PILOT – KEY LEARNINGS
3 Community engagement
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Understanding what is expected from community engagement is important for partners at the outset, including the required multi-sport perspective. Partners were reluctant to risk damaging trust with local organisations by doing additional community engagement for capital projects due to their greater risk of not being delivered.
BIRMINGHAM PILOT – KEY LEARNINGS
4 Site identification
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Process challenges ‘top-down’ and ‘bottom-up’ approach. It is crucial to take time to develop more local community perspective into site identification & avoiding traditional approach. Consortium partners tended to identify existing sport facilities in need of upgrade/refurbishment due to this being their knowledge base. Consortium should take time to understand project aims & criteria.
BIRMINGHAM PILOT – KEY LEARNINGS
5 Multi-sport perspective
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
NGBs were at very different starting points, depending on resources and capabilities. The funding programme provided an innovative and forward-thinking approach to local collaboration across different sport clubs and organisations.
BIRMINGHAM PILOT – KEY LEARNINGS
6 Facility management support
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Activation ideas and support in Birmingham was very positive, but local revenue funding should also be sought by consortium..
BIRMINGHAM PILOT – KEY LEARNINGS
7 Activation support
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Identified as important success factor in research report, but pilot not able to cover within timeframe, however considerations were regularly raised: o Ongoing maintenance as part of the upfront construction o Facility management training for community organisations o Use of online booking systems for venues o Ongoing community engagement beyond the initial phase.
PlayZone Programme Overview
PLAYZONE PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
To deliver our ambitious targets we have developed a programme based on delivery of multiple projects in local authority areas:
Targeting priority areas
Process developed to ensure a community-led approach
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Findings of the community engagement will be used to inform the location and type of facility to meet the needs of the community
PlayZone programme
Focus on tackling inequalities and targeting priority groups
PLAYZONE PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
o Portfolio based programme, with projects being developed simultaneously in a local authority area and single application submitted to the FF o Project development driven by a consortium of local partners, with agreed Lead Organisation & Project Manager – upfront funding available to support project management and community engagement costs o Local partnership funding required – minimum 25% across portfolio o Multi-sport activation plan, business & operational plans will form part of a Full Application submission
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Consortium Approach & other NGB priorities
CONSORTIUM APPROACH
o A group of partners working together to develop and drive the application for a PlayZone portfolio in your area. o The consortium identifies local priorities and engages with partners and community groups before submitting an investmentready portfolio o Each consortium should appoint a Lead Organisation, based on local geography, politics and delegation of responsibility. o Consortia should develop over the development of the programme to reflect local priorities.
Examples of consortium membership: Local authority •
Sports and physical activity
•
Health and wellbeing
•
Parks and green spaces
Places and communities Active partnership Football partners* •
Professional club community organisations
•
County FA
Prominent community groups Local charities Other sport partners* Housing associations Other sports, physical activity and wellbeing services
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
PLAYZONE PROGRAMME OVERVIEW
o Tackling inequalities, etc needs a collaborative approach
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Identifying priority audiences and places
Appointing a project manager to coordinate the project
Managing relationships between local stakeholders
Seeking external expertise when required (e.g. technical, planning, design)
Consolidating, reviewing, and discussing existing insight for the local area
Ensuring community engagement is ongoing and remains central to the approach
Identifying multi-sport opportunities across local communities
Securing local partnership funding
Consortium responsibilities
o A key success factor for ATF has been the depth of consortia which reflect the local community and target groups
Targeted approach
TARGET PLACES
o Starting with the same areas shortlisted for our Active Through Football programme o Priority areas for investment with high concentrations of our target audiences o Greatest potential to meet the programme readiness factors o Opportunity to use and build on the established ATF local consortia to shape o Experience of undertaking community engagement through the FF o Opportunity to target priority places across the Local Authority area and not just ATF ‘place’
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
TARGET AUDIENCES
o Programme focused upon tackling inequalities within priority groups o Priority groups across the country face stubborn inequalities in activity levels and access to sports facilities o There are four priority groups facing the greatest inequalities: •
Lower socio-economic groups
•
Women and girls
•
Disabled people and people with long-term health conditions
•
Ethnically diverse communities
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
o We aim to offer safe and inclusive facilities that will help local communities overcome these challenges. o We want you to identify the priority groups and places in your local area who would most benefit from access to a PlayZone facility. o To ensure that your project meets the needs of these priority group you will need to engage with priority groups and involve them in the design of the projects. Our Community Engagement Toolkit is designed to support this.
Application Process & Timeline
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
Solicited approach to priority areas
Expression of Interest Lead organisation to commit to programme Request funding for Project Manager and Community Engagement (capped award)
1
FF Approval (formal review) Grant assessment and funding decision
Full Application Development • Business & operational plan • Activation plan • Technical design & information • Capital grant request & partnership funding
4
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Further support required through LFFP refresh and enter programme in Phase 2
FF Approval (formal review) Capped grant award offer for CE & Project Manager
FF Approval (formal review) FF review and Technical Consultant appointment
Narrow focus & Community Engagement • Agree Project Management approach • Agree priority audiences and places • Agree approach to Community Engagement
2
CE Findings & Site Identification Community Engagement Report submitted to FF • What did CE tell you? • Which sites? • Which sports and what does it mean for surface/design?
3
FF Approval (informal review) CE plan review with FF Project Manager and approval to proceed with CE
TIMELINE Phase 1: Expression of Interest Deadline — Friday 10th June 2022 FF Decision — June / July 2022 Phase One
Phase Two
Stage 2 – Narrow the focus & Community Engagement approach
July 2022
Stage 2 – Narrow the focus & Community Engagement approach
April 2023
FF approval
August 2022
FF approval
May 2023
Stage 3 – Community Engagement findings & Site Identification
October 2022
Stage 3 – Community Engagement findings & Site Identification
July 2023
FF approval
November 2022
FF approval
August 2023
Stage 4 – Full Application submission
February 2023
Stage 4 – Full Application submission
November 2023
FF assessment & decision
April 2023
FF assessment & decision
January 2024
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
READINESS FACTORS
The following readiness factors will determine which phase of the programme best suits your local area and will identify the support you need in your application. o Commitment o Capacity o Consortium o Clear local priorities o Partnership funding o Activation / workforce o Timings
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
o Lead Organisation should email playzones@footballfoundation.org.uk to request access to the EOI form
AREA, LEAD ORGANISATION & KEY CONTACTS
o EOIs should be submitted by Friday 10th June 2022 o Applications will be assessed based on readiness factors
CONSORTIUM Organisations currently included How do organisations represent the area, how have they been brought together and your lead organisation chosen?
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
LOCAL PRIORITIES • Who are the priority audiences you have identified to engage with? • How and why have these been selected, what informed this decision and what engagement has already taken place and what has this told you? • Which priority places have you identified and why?
COMMITMENT • Supporting statement to commit to the principles of the programme • Any additional information
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT GRANT REQUEST • Amount requested • Intended use
EOI Requirements
o Consortia should agree locally on a Lead Organisation
NARROW THE FOCUS
1.
Key starting point for the Community Engagement process
2.
Identify priority groups and places
3.
Review existing knowledge and insights and develop conversations
4. Identify other local stakeholders 5.
Start with exiting strategies / established local priorities
6. Support from the Pitchfinder mapping tool. 7. Once the focused is agreed, you’re ready to start the engagement 8. Think about who is best placed to lead
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Key Criteria
KEY CRITERIA
Partnership funding Security of tenure & land ownership Sinking funds Implementing design guidance Technical consultant appointment – plans for framework
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Activation & Business Plans
ACTIVATION PLAN
o Community engagement findings should help to inform the plan o Key partners should be identified that can help to activate the facility o Activation could come through NGB programme delivery e.g. PL Kicks, FA Wildcats, Back to Netball, All Stars cricket, 3x3 Basketball o Key community groups may also be in a position to activate the space through recreational activity o Sessions must be bookable if we are to reach target audiences. There can be an element of open access, but a combination is required. o Programme wide technology solutions currently being explored
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
BUSINESS PLAN
o 5-year business plan required o Each PlayZone should have a sustainable business plan that considers each site individually or across the full portfolio o Overall programme aim of keeping the PlayZone running costs as low as possible o Sets out where responsibility for costs and maintenance lie o Factors such as site operation, ownership, surface type and activation plan will influence the business plan
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Next steps
NEXT STEPS
Bring Bring your consortium together for local discussions
Decide Decide if you wish to submit an Expression of Interest
Football Foundation — PlayZone Grass Pitch Programme RevolutionWorkshop
Agree Agree your Lead Organisation
Request
Engage
Request access to the EOI form
Engage with Football Foundation and Sport England Officers for support and guidance
Submit Submit EOI by Fri 10th June 2022
Thanks for joining us
Football Foundation — PlayZone Programme Workshop
Questions