Football League Trust

The Football League has launched a new body called The Football League Trust to oversee Community and Youth Development activities at its 72 clubs.

Football League clubs perform a unique and vital role in their local areas by providing a focal point for social and sporting activities, as well as contributing to the improvement of local amenities.

The Trust, headed by General Manager Dave Edmundson, is already working with the clubs to help further develop relationships with their local communities.

The scope of the Trust’s work includes health and education, and increases sports participation levels and social inclusion. It is also responsible for deciding on funding awards for clubs’ Community and Youth Development projects.

The power of football, the power of professional Football League clubs, and the harnessing of the power of the thousands of football supporters makes a positive difference to the countless issues that face us all today.

The Trust, and individual clubs’ community programmes, can work alongside the housing associations and the National Housing Federation to help build better neighbourhoods.

Edmundson said: “In partnership with local housing associations, The Trust can help deliver meaningful and sustained initiatives that will address a number of social issues found around deprived housing areas such as anti-social behaviour, binge drinking and graffiti.

“Football–related projects such as Midnight Leagues will involve excluded youngsters from the area.

“There is also the potential to create coaches and leaders from among these young people, who will then become a focal point and help deliver projects on their own turf.”

For more information contact Andy Lulham at andy@paulridleyltd.com.