Written evidence submitted by the Premier League

 

Introduction

  1. The number one objective of the Premier League is to put on the best possible football competition.
  2. High quality Premier League football, played in world class stadiums in front of passionate fans helps drive interest both domestically and internationally. This allows us to work with Clubs to develop all elements of the competition, and invest in and support the development of young players, wider community & school sport, and the fans.
  3. Premier League football generates £3.2bn in tax revenue per season to the UK Exchequer, Premier League clubs employ 12,000 people directly and support 100,000 jobs in the wider chain.
  4. We support 161 Premier League, Football League and National League clubs to deliver a broad range of community programmes. The Premier League invests £100m a season into community & school sport, inclusion, diversity and anti-racism programmes, as well as supporting player welfare throughout the football system - an unprecedented amount in professional sport.
  5. Furthermore, our 18-year partnership with The FA and Government to fund the Football Foundation (FF) has delivered £495m towards developing/creating new facilities. These include 702 Artificial Grass Pitches, 1,008 changing pavilions, 2,921 grass football pitches and 101 Multi-Use Games Areas. As well as investing in facilities for school and community use, the Premier League solely funds the Football Stadia Improvement Fund - the country’s largest provider of grants for projects that help improve the comfort and safety of lower-league football grounds in both the professional and amateur game.
  6. We have developed an extensive network of informal and flexible community provision, founded on the belief that people should get involved with sport simply because it is fun.  Delivered across England and Wales through Premier League, English Football League and National League Clubs, we deliver many different programmes, not limited to sports provision, including participation in competition and talent pathways, educational and training activities, behavioural, life skills and health awareness and recognition and reward events.
  7. We believe that informal provision and non-traditional approaches are a very important component of sports provision for Government to support.

 

Which programmes best demonstrate the positive and social impact that participation in sport and culture can have on the five central themes of the inquiry.

 

SOCIAL MOBILITY

 

  1. At the core of the Premier League’s community provision is delivering programmes for young people, to engage them in sport first, and then offer additional elements aimed at supporting their wider development.
  2. Of fundamental importance is that the activities delivered are almost always free and based in the heart of local neighbourhoods. The significance of this should not be underestimated. It means that young people, whose families may not be able to afford extra-curricular sport, who don’t have transport or parental support and who wouldn’t feel comfortable approaching a traditional sports club, have access to sport in their community.
  3. PREMIER LEAGUE KICKS: Premier League Kicks, which started in 2006, uses the power of football and the value of sports participation to help hard to reach young people in some of the highest need areas. Premier League Kicks is delivered by 69 Clubs and engages the participants in constructive activities, including a wide variety of sports, coaching, music, education and personal development sessions. Communities up and down the country have been transformed with impressive sports participation rates. To date, just under 250,000 young people have taken part. 
  4. The vast majority of our young participants self-refer to our programmes and it is rare to see parents at sessions. Three quarters of the 862 Premier League Kicks venues are based in the country’s top 30% most deprived areas. Our programmes are taking sporting and development opportunities into areas where they didn’t exist and to people who may otherwise not have engaged.
  5. Football Club Community Organisations (CCOs) are able to provide enough social capital to engage participants and help them develop a life-long love of sport. Developing the confidence and trust of under-represented groups is absolutely vital, which is why our programmes commonly have minimum targets focused on the number of days/weeks the activity is run in an area.
  6. Coupling delivery for primary school children with expansive community provision for 8-19 year olds, our Clubs are able to provide this bridge between schools and community-based projects, often with the same coaches (or at least the same Club badge) providing consistency and a welcoming appeal to sessions.
  7. PREMIER LEAGUE ENTERPISE CHALLENGE: We fund 25 Clubs to deliver Premier League Enterprise, a programme for young people to raise their aspirations and improve their employability and practical business skills. This programme specifically targets those young people that may be struggling in school or who are disengaged from lessons to inspire them, using the business of football, to engage positively in education.
  8. Yassen Mukadam, who won the Premier League Enterprise Challenge (an annual competition on the business of football), along with peers from West Ham United said:  “I wasn’t going anywhere and had signed on the dole. I had failed to get into university because of the interviews but the [PL Enterprise] Challenge kept my head high and really improved my presentation skills. This year I secured a place at King’s College studying medicine.”
  9. Volunteering is a key strand across many Premier League programmes, with Clubs promoting a culture of volunteering to support personal development. This equips participants with the skills needed to reach their potential and encourages community cohesion. Clubs adopt various approaches to volunteering. A balance is struck between formal, structured volunteering to nurture and develop prospective coaches/staff and less formal, short-term volunteering opportunities to empower and build the confidence of participants.
  10. Hawa Hassat, 24, began volunteering on Blackburn’s Premier League Girls Football programme in 2016 having been involved with the Trust’s Prince’s Trust employability project which aimed to give young people the confidence, experience and skills to find paid work. Due to her increased confidence, Hawa has now signed up to the BRCT Female Football Academy which is funding her through her FA Level 1 football qualification, and Hawa has also been offered paid coaching work with Blackburn’s partner club Abu Hanifah Foundation FC.
  11. PREMIER LEAGUE WORKS: This programme, delivered in partnership with the Prince’s Trust and the Professional Footballers Association, provides young people with the support to develop their personal and social skills to make a positive transition back into education, access training or gain meaningful employment. 24 Clubs are currently delivering PL Works.
  12. Yasseen Kuthubbeen was struggling to find employment when he was introduced to the Watford FC Community Sport and Education Trust and their PL Works course. The course provided valuable work experience and Yaseen has now found employment, working in matchday hospitality at Watford’s Vicarage Road stadium. He credits the course for giving him a new focus in his everyday life, “I now have order in my life, it’s completely changed my lifestyle”. Yaseen is one of 750 people that have taken part in the PL Works programme over the last 12 months.

 

HEALTH

 

  1. Whilst our national strategic focus is primarily on young people, many of our Clubs have extensive offers to help older people re-engage with physical activity. One good example is ‘Walking Football’ that was designed to combat inactivity and social isolation in older men. One participant from a Newcastle United Foundation programme said: ‘I really thought I would never play football again, since I had to give up Sundays because of my injury. When I heard about the walking football I went out and bought new kit and couldn’t wait for Wednesday to come around. The walking football session is now the best part of my week and I really look forward to it”.
  2. For people with mental health problems, sport and physical activity can play an important role. Many of our CCOs have a strong track record of supporting people with mental health issues, but recognise this needs specialist staff and appropriate resources to make the contact count. There is now a range of initiatives in place which recognise that, alongside medical treatment of mental health problems, there is added value in connecting people to communities and networks of interest.
  3. The innovative ‘Imagine Your Goals’, sport, football and fitness programme for people tackling mental health issues, has been delivered for over seven years at a number of clubs including a very successful project delivered by Everton in the Community, in partnership with their local NHS trust.
  4. Our recent evaluations have shown how all our programmes play a positive role in building confidence and helping young people understand their strengths. This can help young people build the resilience and skills to cope with situations that have the potential to lead to poor wellbeing.
  5. Arsenal in the Community have worked in partnership with the Camden and Islington Mental Health Foundation Trust since 2011 and deliver twice weekly football sessions. The sessions concentrate on the wider wellbeing of the participants as well as their physical health. Aside from the opportunity to play football, participants can also get involved in Arsenal in the Community’s employability programme, as well as other workshops.
  6. Andy McDonald’s life was transformed one day when he was seriously injured after being hit by a car. The Swansea City Community Trust played an important part in helping Andy get back to a regular life after a serious head injury. The Trust’s Sign Up to Success programme at Morriston Hospital in Swansea, supports adults with brain injuries, with physical and educational activities as well as support to give them the ability and confidence to return to work.

 

 

CRIME REDUCTION

 

  1. One of the core elements of PREMIER LEAGUE KICKS is to engage older teenagers in challenging communities.  One of the key factors of the success of the programme is scheduling the sessions according to the target audience needs. As a result of feedback and analysing the extensive data, clubs have been able to do this by delivering sessions at the right time (usually after 7pm) and on the right day (Friday nights are the most well attended sessions and Saturdays are also popular). By focussing on the most important times of the week for young people in these areas, Clubs are able to provide an attractive offer that also engages partner agencies such as the Police and Housing Associations.
  2. Not only do these programmes engage young people in valuable sporting activity and help to provide them with other opportunities but they also help tackle issues such as anti-social behaviour, with reported reductions of up to 45% in some areas.
  3. One element of the PREMIER LEAGUE WORKS programme is to work in prisons and young offender’s institutes. Fulham FC Foundation deliver in Feltham Young Offenders Institute. The prison houses between 500-600 young offenders and with the cost of £56,000 to house each prisoner per year, reducing reoffending is key for prison staff and society more widely.
  4. AK, 19, was convicted for Intent to Supply Class A and D Drugs. Before he was due to be released he wanted to get involved with PL Works programme to help him stay away from crime after his release. AK attended the full eight-week programme and achieved the Entry Level Three Business and Enterprise Award, as well as a Football Association Level One Coaching Qualification. Additionally, the PL Works Coordinator worked tirelessly to mentor AK, working on his CV, covering letter, interview techniques, as well as his confidence and self-esteem. The PL Works programme has provided significant benefits to AK, who is now excited to be leaving prison to commence a voluntary coaching role at Fulham FC Foundation.
  5. “I knew that if I didn’t do something while I was in Feltham that there was always going to be the chance that once I got out I would reoffend. I needed to create opportunities for myself now because I don’t have a family or support network like others once I am released. Working with Fulham has helped me increase my confidence and I have been able to develop my leadership skills”.

 

EDUCATION

 

  1. The Premier League and our Clubs have always recognised the importance of working within the education sector and have invested considerably within the school setting. PREMIER LEAGUE PRIMARY STARS is the Premier League’s most ambitious community programme. Launched in March 2017 the programme uses the power of football to inspire young people in everything from Maths and English to team work and sport.
  2. The programme features national curriculum linked online resources, designed by experts and approved by teachers and builds on the work our Clubs have been delivering in schools for a number of years. Over 12,000 schools have already signed up and are benefiting from the free resources and we aim to have 15,000 schools registered by the end of the 2018/19 season.
  3. Premier League Primary Stars is being delivered by 101 Premier League, EFL and National League Football Clubs, reaching over 250,000 participants.
  4. Henry Commander, a deputy head at Brecknock School has been using the free resources in his classes. He said: “What is powerful about this programme is that it is both for the teacher and the child. A teacher said to me the other day that they had downloaded one of the tools for guided reading and it was a small idea of using player positions to help with English. So the defender was the clarifier, looking around a word and understanding the meaning behind it. The midfielder was the predictor and predicts what will happen in the text and the striker was the person who sought out the answers, suddenly a disengaged child was up for this lesson and keen to learn”.
  5. The Premier League and the BBC recently launched ‘Supermovers’ which works hand in hand with PL Primary Stars resources and offers teachers fun videos, ideas and incentives to help children get more active throughout the day. Active children do better and get more from the school day and this initiative, using famous faces from the world of TV and football, aims to get children active and learning at the same time.

 

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND DIVERSITY

 

  1. We believe that the environment that Premier League Clubs provide with their community delivery enables them to engage with underrepresented groups.  Young people from Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Communities (BAME) participate in our programmes in significant numbers. Our clubs are proving highly effective in engaging young people who reflect the cultural diversity in the (mainly disadvantaged) areas where community sessions are delivered. Last year, some 41 per cent of PL Kicks participants were from BAME communities.
  2. The young people engaged on our Community programmes typically reflect local demographics. For example, in their first year delivering Premier League Kicks, 89% of Leicester City Community Trust’s participants were from BAME communities.
  3. We know there is always more that can be done and that is why the Premier League is working with a variety of organisations to target specific members of the population. For example, the Premier League Charitable Fund (PLCF) has provided a grant for the Muslim Women’s Sports Foundation, to work with Clubs to develop strategies to engage Muslim women in physical activity.
  4. Many Clubs operate in areas of high immigration and football can help support young people in settling in to their new country. Jessica Mendes from Guinea Bissau arrived in London three years ago. With no English Jessica struggled to settle in and make friends. At school, she was introduced to the work of the Tottenham Hotspur Foundation and PL Kicks. “PL Kicks has done a lot for me. It has improved my confidence. Before I would think that I couldn’t do anything but now I can do what I want to do”.
  5. PREMIER LEAGUE GIRLS FOOTBALL is being delivered by 88 Clubs and since the programme began in September 2013, over 58,000 women and girls have been involved. For participants who want to progress in the game, clubs create pathways with local community clubs to provide long term participation opportunities, support the female talent pathway and increase opportunities for women and girls to develop skills and confidence and offer opportunities to progress as a player/coach.
  6. PREMIER LEAGUE/BT DISABILITY FUND is a National programme, being delivered by 25 clubs and jointly funded by the Premier League and BT. Clubs create programmes that help to remove the barriers that mean, at present, disabled people are half as likely to participate in sport as non disabled people. All Clubs have a designated Disability Manager whose role it is to work with local organisations to provide new activity specifically for disabled people and to ensure all Club activity is inclusive.
  7. Mike Buchan is one of England’s brightest visually impaired footballing talents but the 14 year old was not always comfortable with the game. Mike started playing with the Newcastle United Foundation five years ago where he could develop his skills and confidence in specifically designed coaching sessions. Mike said, “It was the first time in my life I got to experience being able to run around at the speed of light and having the confidence to do that because I knew where I was and I knew all he people. It was absolutely amazing”. Mike has now been identified as part of the FA Player Pathway.

 

HOW CAN ACCESS TO CULTURAL AND SPORTING PROFESSIONS BE IMPROVED TO ENABLE GREATER DIVERSITY? HOW CAN GOVERNMENT BUILD A PIPELINE OF TALENT.

 

  1. As Premier League Kicks enters its twelfth year, it has had time for the pathway from ‘participant, to volunteer to club staff member’ to mature. The results are impressive, with a number of former participants now progressing to become project co-ordinators.

-1 in 9 participants become programme or community volunteers.

-586 participants have been reported to have secured paid employment this year.

-156 are now employed by the Club/Club Community Organisations.

  1. Through their role as hubs of their communities, Clubs play a pivotal role in ‘brokering’ partnerships and relationships and in ensuring the development and promotion of local volunteering pathways. These partnerships also help to provide pathways for volunteers to progress into training and employment opportunities.
  2. Providing training for volunteers is a key component of retaining people – our Clubs provide an extensive programme, including Level 1 qualifications and Sports Leader Awards. Some are also creating their own Leadership programmes and offering training that develops soft skills such as mentoring.
  3. The Premier League and its Clubs are also promoting social action. Increasingly we have seen programmes include a ‘Community Champion’ element, which sees participants deliver social action initiatives in order to give something back to their local community whilst also developing their CV. This peer-to-peer education has proved to be very effective, so should be encouraged where relevant with all volunteer programmes. Many of our Clubs play a key role in the delivery of National Citizen Service.
  4. ECAS: The Elite Coach Apprenticeship Scheme (ECAS) was created by the Premier League to develop a pipeline of leading coaches of the future. ECAS is at the forefront of educating and developing coaches, dedicated to producing more and better homegrown players. As part of this programme and to increase diversity amongst leading coaches, the Premier League Funds six additional places on the course for three BAME coaches and three female coaches annually. We believe that creating better coaches from different backgrounds and expanding the pool of talented BAME and female coaches will allow for greater representation in the upper echelons of English Football.
  5. The Premier League, our Clubs and other sports are doing our best to improve access to opportunities but swift change, on a large scale will require significant investment, one in which Government is in the best position to provide.

 

WHERE ARE EXAMPLES OF DEPARTMENTAL BEST PRACTICE AND HOW COULD IT BE SHARED.

 

  1. The Premier League and our Clubs have widespread experience of working with many Government departments, including the DCMS, BEIS, FCO, DFE, DoH, DFiD and the Home Office. This demonstrates a wide scale recognition of the power of sport to deliver a range of positive outcomes not just limited to improved physical and mental well-being.
  2. As demonstrated above, after engaging people from high-need areas using sport, our Clubs are then able to provide additional opportunities to progress into other programmes that focus on areas such as employability and education. We also weave positive social messages alongside more classic sports activities, for example, we deliver workshops on difficult issues alongside many of our tournaments. Topics have included the dangers of alcohol/drugs, gun/knife crime, extremism and promoting equality – all such workshops have been delivered by experts in the field and in partnership with groups including the Home Office, the Police and Kick it Out.
  3. The above examples show how we align to the Governments’ own sports strategy across the range of focus areas. While the Premier League does not currently receive funding from Government (through Sport England) for any of our programmes we do continue to demonstrate our commitment to ensuring our community provision is fit for purpose and benefits a wide cross section of society. Working more closely with Government, investing in programmes that we know work, can only be of benefit to young people across the country.
  4. This is only a small snapshot of what we are doing across the five key themes outlined in the Inquiry. We would be more than happy to provide additional evidence to the Committee and should there be an oral evidence session would like to be considered in order to expand on the above even further.

 

 

February 2018