Fulham FC Foundation and Fulham FC’s Academy recently came together to show that when it comes to positively impacting your local community, young people can be a driving force.
On Wednesday 1st March, participants from the Fulham FC Foundation and Fulham FC’s Academy came together to present their ideas for a social action project. These projects were aimed at tackling an issue that had been identified by the groups within their local community. Each group was given 10 minutes to present their idea to a panel of judges, with the most impactful project being awarded £100 to help their group deliver it.
Alongside this, the young people took part in a number of activities that got the Foundation and Academy working together. This was a great opportunity for the Academy players to find out a bit more about the different programmes the Foundation runs, while also acting as positive role models to the Foundation’s participants.
“It was an absolute thrill to see how invested the Academy players have been in their social action projects. Each player took such pride in their presentation, which showcased their hard work, research and planning. The whole evening worked wonderfully, especially as the Academy players got to work alongside Foundation participants in a variety of activities which developed collaborative practice. All participants on the evening demonstrated the upmost respect for each other, forming positive relationships through a mutual love of football (and social action!)” - Claire-Marie Pomeroy, Fulham Academy Player Care Manager.
This event was designed to get all the participants outside their comfort zone, both during the presentations and group activities. By doing this, we are helping the young people gain invaluable life skills that will benefit them in their future careers. It also helped the Academy players understand the vital role they play in inspiring the next generation, which is why it was so good to see how passionate they all were about their projects.
"I really wanted to take part in the Social Action Challenge to do something nice for everyone at my school. We prepared well and my nerves were gone as soon as we went into the presentation room, despite having been nervous beforehand. Being able to use the money for our school feels really good!" - Freya, ‘Bee Happy’ Group Winner.
Every single group did a fantastic job both during and in preparation for the event, and because of this the judges decided to award all the groups the £100 prize fund. However, there still needed to be a winner. So, a huge congratulations to the Foundation’s Girls Development Centre group, from Fern Hill Primary School, whose ‘Bee Happy’ project was the winner. We can’t wait to see this, and all the other projects come to life.
To find out more about the Premier League Inspires programme please contact Fulham FC Foundation via email.
