Helping Local Communities
Sky Bet and the English Football League (EFL) have launched the Building Foundations Fund, a new initiative designed to help football clubs boost community projects. The fund will see £6m given out in funding.
The project was officially launched at League One Barnsley’s Oakwell stadium. The multi-year deal has been backed by multiple sponsors, with former Sky Sports host Jeff Stelling acting as its ambassador.
Sky Bet will donate £1m per year as part of their role. To celebrate the start of the fun, the 72 clubs that make up the Football League, 24 from each of the three divisions, will have £10,000 grant to spend for club community organisations.
Championship side Blackburn Rovers has already confirmed it will be using the initial £10,000 grant to grow its ‘Remember the Rovers’ programme, which sees weekly sessions held at the club’s stadium, Ewood Park, where people struggling with dementia can come together to share football memories and help support one another.
Bidding for Grants
As part of the initiative, all EFL clubs can bid for a £100,000 grant to help make positive changes in their communities. Jeff Stelling, along with a panel of experts, will help decide the winning bids.
Speaking about the fund, Stelling said, ‘'Everybody knows my love of the English Football League. I also know all too well how lower league clubs and the communities around them struggle for financial support.’
Stelling added that he is very excited to get started, saying he believes the foundation presents a chance for the EFL and Sky Bet to make a real difference.
A Strong Relationship
Sky Bet and the EFL have had a longstanding and very successful relationship. The Flutter Entertainment-owned bookmaker extended its sponsorship deal with the division earlier this year and will now be the EFL’s title sponsor until the end of the 2028/29 season.
Dan Colton, the Managing Director of Sky Bet, said that the fund is a core pillar of the new agreement with the league, adding that he is excited to see the positive change that the £6m is going to make to communities across England and Wales.
