Blackpool FC Community Trust column: Honouring those who have made a difference

This week, the Premier League is celebrating the incredible impact of football clubs in their local communities as the Premier League Charitable Fund marks its 10-year anniversary.
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The Premier League provides investment and long-term support to help clubs create lasting change within communities.

An awards programme will see clubs recognise the achievements of individuals who have made a positive difference in their community over the past decade.

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Premier League Primary Stars – Facilitator Winner: JACK KING

Moor Park Academy is one of the prizewinnersMoor Park Academy is one of the prizewinners
Moor Park Academy is one of the prizewinners

Jack started his journey with Blackpool FC Community Trust on the BTEC Education programme and then progressed onto the degree.

Throughout that period, Jack showed a very keen interest in the PL Primary Stars programme and always aspired to become a part of the team at BFCCT.

Throughout his studies, Jack found time to volunteer on the provision and completed significant hours and qualifications to equip him for the role for the future.

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Following his graduation in 2019, Jack was awarded a full-time role with the Community Trust and is now a physical education officer with Blackpool FC Community Trust, delivering the programme in local primary schools.

Premier League Primary Stars – Participant Winner: MOOR PARK ACADEMY

Moor Park is a two-form entry primary school in Blackpool and an advocate of the PL Primary Stars programme since its introduction.

Initially embracing PE support delivered by BFCCT and using evidence-based toolkits, the school soon identified key components within the programme that were beneficial to pupils and teachers alike.

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Continuous Primary Stars PE delivery has improved teachers’ capabilities and confidence in delivering PE and subsequently increased the quality of PE in the school.

BFCCT is currently supporting the school with a redesign of the school PE curriculum, using teacher focus groups and workshops, school facilities, environment and the school’s ethos for a bespoke scheme of work that has been developed collectively.

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Stephen started his journey with BFCCT as an apprentice sports coach in 2011 and completed his initial journey by becoming a coach on the first PL Kicks site delivered in Blackpool at Revoe Park.

He continued to coach and inspire young people for a further six years while working in a local nursery and completing his degree in sports coaching.

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Following his further progressions, he became the lead for BFCCT on Early Years PE in 2017 and has since continued in the role, establishing a number of programmes in this area.

Premier League Kicks – Participant Winner: MATTHEW GUY

Matthew is 17 years old and from the Park ward area of Blackpool.

Matthew has regularly attended PL Kicks sessions for the past five years and had many positive experiences along the way.

As well as representing Blackpool FC Community Trust in PL Kicks fixtures and the PL Kicks Cup, Matthew has travelled to play on the pitch at Wigan’s DW Stadium – winning the ‘Premier League Fair Play Award’ in a regional tournament in this time.

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In September 2020, Matthew joined our Blackpool FC Community Trust Sports College and is now studying for a BTEC level three in sport.

He is volunteering on our PL Kicks programme at the moment and booked his FA level one in football. Matthew aspires to work for Blackpool FC Community Trust in the future.

Premier League Inspires – Facilitator Winner: SIMON SMITH

A PL Enterprise delivery officer from 2015, who helped shape and deliver the provision through its final three years of delivery.

On the introduction of PL Inspires, Simon became the secondary education manager, and through the partnerships already developed in delivering PL Enterprise, consultation with schools took place which identified pupils needed support with mental health and managing stress around GCSEs.

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Working with his team, Simon developed a mental health and resilience programme focused on exam stress and supporting the need to improve attainment and aspirations.

Following the first year’s delivery of PL Inspires, Simon identified that the hour per week he and his staff were working with young people was not enough to fully support the pupils, thus further developing the PL Inspires programme into a High School Hubs offer, providing staff in every high school for two days per week.

Premier League Inspires – Participant Winner: DYLAN NAGLIATI

Dylan was a participant of the PL Enterprise programme in 2015 and was part of the nationwide-winning PL Enterprise Challenge team.

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That allowed him to develop a business idea in a team and present it in front of some very challenging judges, including Theo Paphitis.

After winning the competition, Dylan and his team-mates presented their idea to the Blackpool FC owners and PL CEO Richard Scudamore.

These experiences equipped Dylan to gain the confidence to apply for a business apprenticeship at British Aerospace, where he actually used the Enterprise Challenge presentation and experience as the main focus for his interview presentation.

Dylan now works in the commercial business department and credits his involvement with BFCCT and the Enterprise programme as key contributors to his progress.

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Premier League Professional Footballers’ Association – Facilitator Winner : FIT2GO

PLCF funding was initially secured in 2011 to enable BFCCT to develop and deliver a key stage two healthy lifestyle programme – Fit2Go – to help address poor diet and nutrition in the town, and increase physical activity and awareness of a healthy lifestyle.

A pilot led to the programme being offered to all 30 schools in Blackpool and notable gaps in health knowledge were reduced with 98 per cent of children demonstrating improvement in their knowledge over the six-week programme.

Player visits, inter-school healthy lifestyle quizzes and an end-of-year Fit2Go Festival made the programme a standout provision to school.

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More than 15,000 year four children have benefited from the PLCF-funded initiative.

The effectiveness of the programme allowed the Community Trust to secure local authority match funding, ensuring the continued development of the Fit2Go brand.

Transformational Journey – Facilitator Winner: ARIF RAJPURA

Arif is Director of Public Health Blackpool and has been a huge advocate and supporter of Blackpool FC Community Trust throughout the past 10 years.

Arif has been the local lead in developing strategies to decrease the town’s obesity levels and has supported the Trust’s Fit2Go programme with funding every year for the past 10 years, which started in 2011 as a Premier League project.

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Arif and his team have also committed funding to the PL Inspires programme for three years to support local young people’s mental health and played a key role in shaping the way the programme is delivered.

The team at Public Health and Blackpool FC Community Trust work closely across a range of projects to make the lives of people in Blackpool better and healthier, and his drive and willingness to work with others and bring all together is an inspiration.

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