Sky Bet’s Commitment to Communities: Over £600K Allocated to EFL Schemes

Sky Bet, in partnership with the English Football League (EFL), has significantly contributed to community initiatives across England and Wales by allocating over £600,000 through the Building Foundations Fund. This initiative, launched in 2023, is part of Sky Bet’s pledge to invest £6 million over six years, underscoring its commitment to enhancing communities linked with more than 60 EFL clubs.

The grants are designated for a wide range of projects, focusing on addressing isolation, enhancing mental and physical health, boosting sports participation, and improving local football facilities. The Building Foundations Fund, inaugurated with Sky Bet’s substantial investment, aims to foster community growth and development through the support of varied local initiatives.

A noteworthy aspect of the fund’s deployment includes the allocation of an initial £10,000 to each EFL Club Community Organisation (CCOs) for the 2023-2024 period. This allocation supports the continuation and innovation of community-based projects, aligning with Flutter Entertainment’s global sustainability strategy, the Positive Impact Plan. This strategy aims to positively impact 10 million lives by 2030 through community engagement and support.

Highlighting the fund’s impact, Leeds United is enhancing its ‘Social Goals’ program to combat loneliness among individuals over 50, while Morecambe is investing in health and fitness equipment for community sessions. Additionally, Wycombe Wanderers is supporting a coaching course for prisoners from Aylesbury Prison, aiming to facilitate their reintegration into society.

This initiative also enables Sunderland’s ‘Wear Together’ project, aiming to improve activity levels among the over 55s, and Crewe Alexandra’s efforts to provide football sessions for East European migrants and African asylum seekers.

The partnership between Sky Bet and the EFL, established in 2013, is one of the most enduring in professional sports, focused on promoting safer gambling and achieving mutual goals responsibly.

The Fund’s inauguration was marked by the involvement of former professional footballers and EFL chairpersons, showcasing successful community programs, such as Barnsley’s walking football initiative. Blackburn Rovers, the first recipient of the fund, has dedicated its grant to the ‘Remember the Rovers’ program, aimed at supporting individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementia, highlighting the fund’s broad impact on community welfare and engagement.

Debbie Cook, EFL Director of Community, said: “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.”

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.”