Street League changes the lives of disadvantaged young people through the power of football. The charity works with 16 to 25-year-old NEETs (not in employment, education or training), young offenders and substance misusers, and engages them in structured football and education programmes. Three out of four academy graduates go into employment or education. ConnectSport founder Simon Lansley is Communications Manager at Street League.
During 2011 ConnectSport worked closely with senior development staff at The Football Association to promote aspects of the National Game Strategy. During the ‘Your Kids Your Say’ Roadshow, we provided over 26,000 words of coverage in regional media from 16 events across the country. ConnectSport co-ordinated coverage with local media or, where media could not cover events, provided bespoke articles for them. See some of the articles here.
The Football Foundation is the UK’s largest sports charity. Funded by the Premier League, The Football Association and the Government, it directs £30million every year into grassroots sport. ConnectSport provides content for Football Foundation media outlets, coverage in regional and national media, bespoke content for external media unable to cover events and articles for leading grassroots sport websites.
The Panathlon Challenge seeks to inspire young disabled people to use sport as a means of personal and social development. The charity, funded by a mix of commercial, Government and charitable organisations, provides multi-sport competition for over 3000 disabled children, with more than 50 events taking place during 2012. ConnectSport works closely with senior staff to provide PR and content services which support Panathlon’s aims.
FA charity partner Coaching for Hope is an innovative programme which uses football to create better futures for young people in developing nations. Professional coaches from the UK train local youth workers to recognised FA standards and, at the same time, the local coaches learn how to deliver HIV awareness and life skills sessions to young people in their communities. ConnectSport helped Coaching for Hope launch their ‘African Women into Football’ project at Wembley Stadium.
England footballers from past and present have come together to raise awareness of bowel cancer. The ‘Know the Score’ campaign is also backed by several leading bowel cancer charities including the Bobby Moore Fund, the Adam Stansfield Foundation, Beating Bowel Cancer, Bowel Cancer UK , the Men’s Health Forum and the Mr Brightside Project. The campaign is also supported by the League Managers Association (LMA), Professional Footballers Association (PFA) and Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL). ConnectSport provided PR and media services to ‘Know the Score’.
