Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport Written Evidence


Memorandum submitted by the Premier League

  The Premier League welcomes the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee inquiry into the development of grassroots sport and current levels of participation by all members of the community.

  As one of the world's most popular sporting competitions, the Premier League recognises the responsibilities that come 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 an estimated 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, including increased participation and higher educational standards.

INCREASING PARTICIPATION

  The Premier League is committed to enabling all young people, regardless of sex, race, religion or disability to have access to a new generation of football facilities. The Premier League, along with the Football Association and Government, funds the Football Foundation which invests in improving grassroots football facilities. So far the Football Foundation has supported 1,200 projects worth almost £300 million. This money has funded over 200 changing pavilions, provided 100 schools with new football facilities and built 90 artificial turf pitches. The success of the Football Foundation in increasing participation can be seen through its investment in the ground redevelopment programme at Cirencester Town; the Club has now created ten pitches for youngsters. One person in 36 in the town is now involved with the team at various levels, from mini-soccer to adult teams.

  Our Clubs also offer community coaching schemes, both inside and outside of school time, which provide the opportunity for young people to receive football coaching from qualified Premier League Club staff. Alongside school based activity, each of our Clubs runs social inclusion programmes that reach out to those who are otherwise difficult to inspire and provide football based diversionary activities, at times of high crime rates, that offer the chance for young people to participate in physical activity. These initiatives include estate based coaching programmes and football based marketing materials focused on cutting crime.

  For example, Fulham run Lambeth Estates United, a project which delivers coaching sessions based around 16 sites at or near to housing estates in the inner city borough of Lambeth. The aim is to promote team work, friendship, improved behaviour and good citizenship and address the issue of inner-city rivalry. Similarly, Charlton Athletic organises late night estate football leagues within the community action safety zones in Bexley and Greenwich. The League consists of 11 teams from 11 estates playing five-a-side competitions for 11-19 year olds. Positive behaviour is rewarded by various incentive schemes while negative behaviour results in loss of points for the team. Blackburn Rovers has produced a collector's sticker book which has been distributed to most schools and youth groups within the locality. In total, around 8,000 of the books have been printed, financially supported by the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund. The book contains messages aimed at tackling bullying, drug/substance/alcohol abuse and anti-social behaviour.

  The Premier League is also committed to using its proven track record in public policy to deliver health projects. Our work provides the opportunity for men, women and children to participate in physical activity as well as receive information to encourage them to make positive lifestyle choices.

  To illustrate the work of just one Club, Middlesbrough run a wide range of health projects including:

    —  a school based healthy living programme in 25 primary schools in Cleveland and Redcar that is designed to improve health, fitness and nutrition;

    —  a Fit for Work programme in partnership with their Primary Care Trust and local employment agencies that encourages physical activity as well as increasing job prospects;

    —  a Family Fitness programme that has seen a group of Asian Mothers trained to become football coaches with a long-term view of setting up a local league.

  We are currently in discussions with the Department of Health on how to build on the wide range of health based programmes already being delivered through our Clubs. This will include the sharing of best practice between football and other sports, as well as the creation of a number of new initiatives including health based marketing campaigns that will reach out and encourage more people to choose healthy lifestyle options.

  As well as encouraging young people to participate in football, Premier League Clubs also provide opportunities for children to receive multi-sport training from expert coaches:

    —  Arsenal delivers multi-sport coaching programmes to local primary schools with pupils having the chance to play football, hockey, tennis and cricket.

    —  Norwich City runs a multi sport Healthy Kicking Initiative in 30 local schools.

    —  Fulham linked with Surrey County Cricket Club to provide taster sessions in football and cricket during the school holidays.

    —  West Bromwich Albion Community Programme have also provided training opportunities for young people to participate in a multi-sport programme, including cricket, basketball and football Level 1 coaching courses, with a view to increasing sporting opportunities for young people in the West Midlands.

  Our Clubs are also committed to providing opportunities for players with disabilities to participate in football. Everton's community scheme, with funding from the Football Foundation, has provided specialist coaching schemes to 20 special schools, providing 400 children with learning disabilities and sensory or physical impairments regular opportunities to take up the game as well as compete in mini tournaments and festivals within school curriculum time. This work is repeated through their groundbreaking work with hundreds of wheelchair users, the blind, amputees and a wide range of disabled junior and adult footballers.

  As well as delivering physical activity programmes, our Clubs are committed to using the power of football to raise educational standards. Through football based learning programmes our Clubs have a proven track record in raising educational standards, re-engaging those who have dropped out of education and providing pathways to further education and employment.

  Playing for Success sees Key Stage 2 and 3 children visit Club Learning Centres—classrooms based within football grounds—to receive additional learning support to raise literacy, numeracy and ICT standards as well as self-esteem. The fourth year evaluation, published in April 2003, found that primary school children's numeracy scores had improved by 17 months during the 10 week courses. Over 100,000 children have attended study support centres so far and 40,000 pupils are expected to benefit each year when all the Centres are operational. Children benefit from learning in a different environment to school and are rewarded with Club merchandise, match tickets and receive certificates from first-team players.

  In addition to Playing for Success, the Clubs run their own wide ranging educational programmes, through the Club Learning Centres or in local schools, which are designed to meet the specific needs of the local community. These projects include classes that engage children who have been excluded from mainstream education, courses that provide opportunities for adults to receive IT training and school based citizenship programmes. Some Learning Centres have even employed specialised language and science teachers to help deliver innovative learning programmes. The "Arsenal Double Club," sees literacy and numeracy classes delivered by full-time Arsenal teachers in secondary schools in inner-London. Each 45 minute classroom session is followed by 45 minutes of football coaching with the Arsenal teacher.

  The Prince's Trust Football Initiative, funded by the Premier League, Football Foundation and the PFA, provides vocational 12 week courses leading to further training, education and jobs for 16-25 year olds who may be unemployed or young offenders. The effectiveness of these courses is carefully monitored: in 2003-04 79% of participants who were previously unemployed went on to find work, further education or training. We are looking to expand this programme in the future in order to provide more opportunities for vulnerable young people by running education programmes that provide direct pathways to employment.

  In partnership with the National Literacy Trust and the Football Foundation, the Premier League is also committed to promoting reading and the use of public libraries through Premier League Reading Stars. A player from each Club is nominated as a Reading Champion. The player selects his favourite adult or children's book which is then tailored into a national reading list. The Clubs "adopt" local libraries where family reading groups meet to discuss their book choices and take part in activities which help them to enjoy reading. In 2004, 96% of children and 95% of adults who took part in the initiative believed that it made them want to read more.

  We have also created educational materials for a vocational qualification, First in Sport, which is designed to meet the needs of aspiring athletes and offers the chance for those who are otherwise difficult to engage the opportunity to gain academic accreditation.

OBSTACLES FACING THE PREMIER LEAGUE AND ITS CLUBS

  The Premier League is very proud of the enormous strides it has taken since its inception in 1992 in developing pioneering initiatives that have successfully engaged people of all ages in improving literacy, numeracy and ICT skills, giving a positive direction to their lives and encouraging participation in football. Never in the history of the game, has football worked so hard to create a positive impact on society.

  However, our success has been achieved despite the limited amount of Government investment in sport. The Premier League makes a significant contribution to the development of football in this country, giving more money to the grass roots than any other league in Europe. The latest Business in the Community Percent Club Index ranks the Premier League as the leading corporate UK giver in the Media, Entertainment and Leisure sector. In addition, the football industry continues to generate substantial tax receipts for Government and during the first 12 years of the Premier League, Premiership Clubs have provided around £2.5 billion in tax receipts for Government.

  Our funding of the Football Foundation has made a major difference to the development of grass roots and community projects across the country. However, a recent audit of grass roots facilities demonstrated a need for £2 billion to be invested at a local and central level. Clearly, widespread Government investment is required as football alone cannot be expected to meet this need.

  We encourage the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee to look at ways of increasing Government's investment in sport. As schemes such as Playing for Success have shown, the Premier League can bring the unique element of the power of football to motivate to any community scheme. Combining this motivational force with funding and expertise from Government departments and other partners and agencies, has already been proven to be a highly successful formula. We believe that with increased Government investment we can build on this existing work and deliver in many more public policy areas.

  Long-term and sustainable funding would also address one of the other major challenges for Premier League Clubs when delivering community work. The constant search for short-term rather than long-term sustainable funding means Community staff time is often spent writing funding applications rather than delivering community work. Clubs are also faced by the problem of having to work with a number of different agencies, many of whom are replicating the work of each other.

  We look forward to working with various Government departments in the future in order to play our role in helping their key public policy objectives, as well as increasing participation in sport.





 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2005
Prepared 19 May 2005