A community fund set up from donations from the EFL, its charitable arm, EFL in the Community and The FA of over half a million pounds in total will be distributed to 24 EFL Club charities over the next few months to support their communities.

Among the seven projects to be funded are activities to support communities focused on themes from challenging toxic masculinity and cancer pre-hab and rehab, to tackling social isolation.

The fund was designed to create collaborative working across EFL Club charities - both geographically and by theme. The 24 Clubs charities will work together across seven projects, as groups of charities driving change.

Amongst the projects, Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Doncaster Rovers and Barnsley will drive a South Yorkshire wide initiative tackling health inequality, isolation, and cultural division in ten high need areas. The project will be led by team members with lived experience of the challenges in the community and will be specifically trained to deliver positive change. Each Club will recruit five wellbeing and integration champions who will become coaches and connectors. They will host community gatherings to build cohesion and support.

A project that shows that similar issues can exist and be tackled across a wide range of geographical areas, brings together Wigan Athletic, Watford, Bristol City and Bristol Rovers, Stevenage, QPR and Bolton Wanderers. The project, REACT aims to support older adults with mobility issues with a year-long programme combining exercise, education, and social connection. It develops habits that improve both independence and overall wellbeing, focusing on participants in deprived and ethnically diverse communities. This project reduces health risks and aims to support the NHS/social care savings through preventative action

And a third project directly aligned with Government and FA strategies to challenge harmful behaviours emerging in adolescence has been handed funding to further develop the ‘Pledge United’ project from Cambridge United, Watford and Northampton Town. The project will be educating young men about respect, healthy masculinity, and the dangers of violence against women and girls.

The fund will also support projects focused on developing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in Lancashire; supporting adults with mobility issues into exercise across multiple geographical locations; a cancer pre-hab and rehab project and a mentoring project supporting care experience young people.

Debbie Cook, EFL’s Director of Community said:

“EFL Clubs are at the heart of their communities and the charities associated with our Clubs are changing lives together 365 days a year. We are delighted to announce this funding during the EFL’s Week of Action. It aims to tackle some of the key challenges facing our country and highlights that our Clubs are well placed to reach out to the people of their communities and engage with them in a way that many organisations cannot.”

Our consortia receiving funding are as follows:

Preston North End, Blackburn Rovers and Bolton Wanderers
Wigan Athletic, Bolton Wanderers, Bristol City, Bristol Rovers, Stevenage, QPR and Watford
Rotherham United, Sheffield Wednesday, Sheffield United, Doncaster Rovers and Barnsley
Blackburn Rovers, Chesterfield, Middlesbrough
Cambridge United, Watford, Northampton Town

Cardiff City and Swansea City.

£545,000 fund launched to support innovative projects across 24 EFL Club charities

£545,000 fund launched to support innovative projects across 24 EFL Club charities