The Premier League’s “More than a game” campaign is showcasing how its wide-ranging investment into all levels of football enables people connected to clubs to have a positive impact on their local communities.
Premier League-funded programmes are not only for the 20 clubs in the competition. In fact, the League provides funding for more than 160 clubs from the Premier League, down through the three divisions of the EFL and into non-league with the National League, all to deliver community programmes in their areas in England and Wales.
Clubs such as League One's Blackpool, whose Club Community Organisations (CCO), the Blackpool FC Community Trust (BFCCT), delivers Premier League programmes such as PL Kicks and PL Inspires.
As part of More than a game, the BFCCT was able to honour somebody at the heart of their Premier League-funded programmes who deserved recognition for their commitment and contribution to the game and society by naming them its Community Captain.
The Community Captain for the BFCCT was Josh, who has made the journey from participant in the PL Kicks pan-ability programme at the age of 11, to volunteer, to a paid casual member of staff at the Trust working on the Trust’s PL Kicks pan-ability and disability sessions and half-term disability camps. PL Kicks provides young people with access to free weekly football and multi-sport sessions, mentoring and education workshops.
Josh’s ability to use his experience of PL Kicks to bond with participants provided a safe space for young people with additional needs to come and have fun with like-minded young people.
He was awarded a framed shirt, a Community Captain armband and a pennant.
Children at Stars Camp today surprised Josh with the @PremierLeague Community Captain award to recognise his outstanding impact on the local community 🌟
— Blackpool FC Community Trust (@BFCCT_) February 15, 2024
Find out more - https://t.co/5cpGQCqsXa@PLCommunities #PLMoreThanAGame @blackpoolfc pic.twitter.com/7IysjhQ1K0
Josh’s pathway is quite common in PL Kicks. Of the 21,000 volunteers who have helped on PL Kicks, 93 per cent have been former participants, with a fifth of the PL Kicks workforce also coming through from initially taking part in the sessions.
Across the Pennines, at League Two club Bradford City another Premier League Kicks Community Captain was honoured. Darrel Walker runs the club’s Community Foundation PL Kicks in the south Yorkshire city.
🏆 | #PLMoreThanAGame
— Bradford City FC Community Foundation (@bcafc_cf) February 16, 2024
Congratulations to Darrel Walker, who has been named the Foundation's @premierleague #CommunityCaptain for 2024 👇
Read more: https://t.co/711xtcJrS1 #BCAFC | #CommunityFoundation | #PLKicks | @PLCommunities | @officialbantams pic.twitter.com/BdOYN9xnY1
“As a young lad growing up in Bradford I would have loved the chance to take part in programmes like Premier League Kicks, so to be able to deliver for young people across the city is something I am very proud of,” Darrel said after receiving his award from one of his Kicks participants, Denzel.
“He always makes time for you, you can talk to him about anything, not just football, and me and the other guys always look forward to seeing him,” Denzel said of Darrel. “Coming to the sessions gets me out, keeps me fit, and lets me have fun every week.”