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WE’RE in the middle of the EFL’s annual Week of Action, in which we spotlight the incredible day-to-day impact that our 72 football teams have in their communities.
Between them, they interact with a million people each year and have played a vital role in tackling societal challenges such as education, mental wellbeing and criminal justice among others — contributing to stronger, healthier and thriving communities.
Much commentary in the media this year has focused on concerns about gambling operators’ presence in football.
But since 2013, the EFL and Sky Bet have proudly built one of the most recognisable, enduring and purposeful partnerships in British sport, with social responsibility and investing in communities at its very heart.
This shared commitment prohibits advertising in family areas of stadiums or to young or vulnerable supporters, dedicating significant advertising space to safer gambling campaigns, and funding a player education programme which has so far benefited more than 10,000 players, staff and parents.
As Official Title Partner of the EFL, Sky Bet has invested record sums into EFL clubs and competitions — a key part of the League’s overarching purpose of making its clubs financially sustainable.
In the first 11 seasons of the partnership, Sky Bet invested more than £70million into the EFL and has committed even greater levels of support up to 2028/29.
It is financial backing which enables clubs across the divisions to invest in their success, stadiums and local economies.
In June 2023 the partnership took another great step forward with the creation of the Sky Bet Building Foundations Fund, worth £1million each year.
It drives investment in the vital facilities and initiatives taking place at the heart of our clubs’ communities.
In September, football’s favourite pundit, Chris Kamara, was among those to welcome a £100,000 grant from the Building Foundations Fund for a transformative new community sports hub in East Middlesbrough, where he grew up.
Last summer, Accrington Stanley also received £100,000 for a new 3G pitch which will help drive participation in the game amongst disabled people and over-50s.
Countless others have been awarded money, such as Wigan Athletic, Norwich City, Watford and Notts County.
These types of projects are unfortunately too often overlooked — but they make a significant and lasting positive social impact.
As the Chancellor prepares for a very tough Budget, she faces pressure to push through significant increases in gambling duty.
We, of course, understand the pressure that the Government is under but MPs should be aware of the unintended consequences that such increases could have — not just on the gambling operators themselves, but the many positive initiatives they help organisations like us to support and the priceless investments they make.
