Sky Bet and EFL community fund opens for season of applications

The Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund has opened for grant applications from EFL club charities for a second season.

Over £800,000 was awarded to over 60 club charities in 2023/24, to help to improve the quality of life within communities through the access to, and quality of, community football provision and broader initiatives in England and Wales.

The fund opens during the EFL’s annual Week of Action that sees all 72 clubs unite to highlight the collective impact they have on their communities. Findings from the League’s latest impact report show the unprecedented scale of community work, with EFL club charities reaching over one million people through programmes and initiatives, a 30 per cent increase from 2021/22.

During the Week of Action clubs that have benefited from the fund have been showcasing the impact it has had on their communities, including Millwall manager Neil Harris hosting a football coaching session with military veterans at the club’s training ground.

The largest single grant awarded was to Accrington Stanley, via the Accrington Stanley Community Trust, who received £100,000 to invest in a new small-sided 3G football pitch at the club’s Stanley Sports Hub.

In total, over 100 new weekly sessions were put on by club charities as a result of the funding, with over 7,500 additional participants involved.

Popular initiatives included walking football and active ageing, as well as initiatives to help with homelessness, employability, adult disability and veteran provision.

The Building Foundations Fund was launched last year with Sky Bet committing to invest a bumper £6m over six years as part of its record title partner extension with the EFL.

The fund aims to increase participation in health and wellbeing programmes, improve levels of mental wellbeing and achieve a reduction in health inequalities and sedentary lifestyles.

A further £1m will be awarded over the course of the 2024/25 season, with two application windows for club charities to apply for grants ranging between £5,000 to £100,000.

A panel of industry experts, including Sky Bet ambassador Jeff Stelling, will select the winning bids across a range of categories, such as improving local sporting facilities or promoting the physical and social benefits of the game.

The first application window runs from Wednesday November 20 to Friday January 10.

Debbie Cook, EFL’s director of community, said: “The Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund helps the work of the club charities by supporting existing or new initiatives across key areas such as physical and mental health, crime prevention, education and employability.

“EFL clubs play a significant and integral role in their communities, often delivering vital support, interventions, and programmes across England and Wales. The scale and impact of the work is being demonstrated in our 72 towns and cities during EFL’s Week of Action.

“Not only do over one million people positively benefit from engaging in club activity every season, but for every £1 spent on community investment, £11 is generated in social value, highlighting the pivotal role our clubs play in helping to tackle society’s key issues.”

Stelling said: “It’s been a challenging but rewarding process for me and my fellow panellists to select the most deserving applications, and see those projects come to life over the last year.

“With clubs now familiar with the significant impact the fund can have, we’re expecting to see some really creative ideas coming to the table between now and February.”

Dan Colton said: “The impact we’ve seen across year one of the Building Foundations Fund has shown the collective power of the CCOs to transform financial backing into tangible improvements to the lives of thousands throughout England and Wales.

“As we enter the new funding window, we hope to see applications for an even wider range of initiatives and infrastructure which can continue to benefit communities for years to come.”