Memorandum submitted by the FA Premier
League
DRUGS AND
ROLE MODELS
IN SPORT
The Premier League notes the recent inquiry
the Culture, Media and Sport Committee has commenced into drugs
and role models in sport. In football, drug-testing procedures
and related disciplinary matters are overseen by the Football
Association, and we understand they will be providing the inquiry
with evidence on this.
We are pleased that the Committee has widened
the scope of its inquiry to also give consideration to the positive
role that professional athletes can play in sport and wider society.
The Premier League recognises the responsibility
that comes with the tremendous profile, popularity and reach that
football has in our society. An independent analysis, conducted
by Deloitte & Touche, of the Premier League and its Clubs'
contribution to the community, found that almost £70 million
a year is redistributed to good causes, with these projects reaching
3.7 million participants.
In this submission we will explain how we work
as a delivery partner with Government, harnessing the profile
and appeal the league has in order to secure many positive policy
outcomes. These include educational attainment, crime prevention
and health promotion, as well as achieving our goal of enabling
all young people, regardless of sex, race, religion or disability
to have access to a new generation of football facilities.
The Premier League and its Clubs have an extensive
programme of activity to use their players and the powerful brand
of football as positive role models and mechanisms respectively
to help motivate young people to participate in projects that
raise educational standards, tackle social exclusion and promote
community involvement.
The information that we have provided is only
a brief outline of some of the initiatives that our Clubs and
their players are involved in. Should you wish to receive more
information about any of these projects or what initiatives we
are planning to develop in the future please do not hesitate to
contact Chris Hurst on 020 7298 1657. We would also be happy to
set up a visit to a community project for any of the Committee
members if they are interested.
Please also find enclosed a copy of the latest
Premier League's Annual Report, leaflets outlining our Community
initiatives and a copy of the Premier League's Annual Charter
Reports (not printed).
1. Enabling young people to achieve their
own personal "Gold Medal" standard of sporting performance
The FA Premier League is committed to giving
as many people as possible in the country the opportunity to take
part in football, as both participant and spectator.
The FA Premier League invests £20 million
annually into the Football Foundation, which is also funded by
the Football Association and Government. This funding is aimed
at providing opportunities for players of all abilities rather
than simply ensuring the development of stars of the future. It
is used to support the development of football on parks' pitches
and local facilities, as well as a wide range of community and
educational initiatives.
The Foundation, together with its partner organisation
the Football Stadia Improvement Fund, have now delivered projects
worth over £350 million. Without doubt this is the most comprehensive
funding package the game has ever seen.
Premier League clubs operate Academies for talented
young footballers that focus on developing technically gifted
home grown players that will be able to progress to first team
and international levels of the game. Established Premiership
stars play an important role in the development of Academy players,
with Academy Managers using examples of good conduct as a way
of educating young players. Academy scholars participate in a
Professional Athlete Lifestyle course encouraging them to understand
the pressures and responsibilities they will face as a professional
footballer.
2. Engaging young people in a more healthy
and active lifestyle
Through their Football in the Community Programmes
Premier League Clubs deliver top-class coaching provision for
pupils in local schools and clubs. This plays an important part
in encouraging participation in sport, engaging children in healthy
living and teaching them valuable skills, such as the importance
of working as part of a team and improving communication skills.
Premiership players regularly appear at these sessions, passing
on coaching tips and handing out prizes and certificates that
reward not just excellence but regular participation and attendance.
The Premier League is committed to encouraging
participation in football at all levels of the game through our
work with the Football Foundation. Leading international stars,
such as Middlesbrough's and England's Gareth Southgate, act as
Ambassadors to encourage participation in and awareness of Foundation
projects.
Clubs relay valuable messages regarding a healthy
and active lifestyle, with players and managers playing a pivotal
role in making learning interesting. Newcastle United, in partnership
with their local health authority, have distributed 6,000 free
CD Roms to children on Tyneside to teach schoolchildren about
the importance of fitness and healthy eating. To encourage young
people to learn, in a fun and innovative way, the benefits of
a healthy living the interactive CD Rom features Sir Bobby Robson
who sets children the challenge of rescuing their favourite football
star from an evil wizard who has turned him into a couch potato.
Other examples of Club based initiatives include
Portsmouth where midfielder Steve Stone recently launched an anti-obesity
campaign being run in local schools, while Blackburn Rovers' Club
Learning centre runs lively and informative programmes educating
children about the importance of a balanced diet by comparing
their own daily meals to that of their star striker, Andrew Cole.
The FA Premier League is currently working closely
with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, Department of
Health and Sport England to see what further joint efforts can
be made to address the growing public health issues caused by
inactivity such as obesity, heart disease and diabetes.
3. Helping young people reach goals and overcome
hurdles that are not necessarily sport related
The Premier League and its Clubs use the power
of football to raise educational standards, helping motivate young
people to reach their full potential and make a positive contribution
to society. Clubs address nearly all areas of the national curriculum
through innovative education programmes run in classrooms based
on club premises. Since it was first piloted in 1997, over 85,000
pupils and 5,000 schools have benefited from Playing for Success,
an initiative developed between the Premier League, the Department
for Education and Skills and Local Education Authorities, designed
to use football as a way of increasing literacy, numeracy and
ICT standards. Players take an active role in helping engage underachieving
and unmotivated pupils, both through making appearances in these
centres and by being used as the focus of learning material.
Such has been the success of this scheme, the
British Council, the Department for Education and Skills and Premier
League Clubs are linking with teams and schools around the world.
One example of Playing for Success International has seen Leeds
United launch a new website called Learning with Lucas. The content
on the site is based around the life of South African defender
Lucas Radebe and links children in Johannesburg and Leeds.
Premiership players are also playing an important
part in promoting family reading and encouraging attendance in
public libraries, by acting as Reading Champions in a new league
wide scheme called Premier League Reading Stars. Among the Reading
Champions on the scheme are Sol Campbell, David James, Chris Kirkland
and Carlo Cudicini. Each player selects his favourite book, which
are then tailored into a national reading list. Every Premier
League Club has adopted at least one local library where reading
groups meet on a regular basis to discuss their book choices and
make new selections. There is also the opportunity to access other
facilities available in the library, such as computers and vocational
courses.
Clubs are also using their overseas stars to
go into local schools to share their experiences of what it was
like to start speaking different languages and talk to their children
in their native tongue to encourage them. Newcastle United's French
stars Laurent Robert and Olivier Bernard participate in a regular
programme encouraging children on Tyneside to speak French.
The Premier League is also providing education
and training opportunities for those who are typically difficult
to engage, such as the unemployed or young offenders. The Prince's
Trust Football Initiative provides 12 week structured courses
that incorporate activities that help unemployed 16 to 25 year
olds develop the skills, confidence and motivation to find work,
while gaining nationally recognised qualifications. Rio Ferdinand
and Dion Dublin act as Ambassadors for the Prince's Trust, whose
football courses are funded by the Premier League and the Professional
Footballers' Association. Other players, such as Frank Lampard
and James Beattie, met participants on projects this year which
has proved to be a valuable tool in motivating and retaining people
on the courses.
Footballers also help deliver a number of other
projects in the community. Stars play an important part in promoting
ethnic diversity and inclusion through football's anti-racism's
programmes, helping deliver the important message that racism
is not acceptable in football, sport or any area of society. For
example, Blackburn Rovers have used defender Lorenzo Amoruso to
support a project that encourages children from different backgrounds
in the local area to visit places of worship in their community
in order to promote better understanding of different cultures.
29 April 2004
| 
