Communities in England and Wales are set to receive a helping hand through funding from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund.
Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund To Donate £600k To Community
A range of projects linked to over 60 EFL (English Football League) clubs across England and Wales will receive £10,000 each from £600,000 donated by the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund.
The donation will address various community needs such as promoting fitness and mental health, enhancing local football facilities and encouraging sports participation. Whilst those who are vulnerable will be helped too, tackling isolation and loneliness.
Launched in 2023, the Building Foundations Fund is a long-term commitment from Sky Bet, with up to £6million set to be donated over six years.
Each EFL Club Community Organisation (CCO) will receive £10,000 to kick-start new projects, with more expected in the future.
There is a diverse range of projects being supported by Sky Bet, with Leeds United setting up their ‘Social Goals’ program to target isolation among over-50s. Meanwhile Morecambe are putting on free health and fitness sessions for local communities.
Another project in the works has been set up by Wycombe Wanderers, who will finance a Level 1 Coaching Course aimed at reintegrating and up-skilling prisoners back into society.
Further Comments
EFL Director of Community, Debbie Cook commented on the Foundation: “The funding provided from Sky Bet not only enhances the outstanding work already undertaken by our clubs in the community, but creates a legacy that will last for years to come.
“This commitment from Sky Bet shines a light on the breadth and depth of the work football is involved in across all of our communities and tells the powerful stories of the local community members who benefit from these initiatives and programmes.”
Blackburn Rovers were one of the first to launch a program, and Dan Colton, Managing Director of Sky Bet said: “You only have to see the success of the programmes like ‘Remember the Rovers’ in Blackburn to realise the impact the Building Foundation Fund has and will continue to have over the coming years. We’re incredibly proud of the Building Foundation Fund and our work with the clubs across the EFL to breathe new life into the community projects they run.“
