Premier League Programmes

Premier League Kicks uses the power of football and sport to inspire young people to reach their potential.

The programme creates opportunities for young people who are at risk of anti-social behaviour, youth violence and/or from high-need areas to regularly engage in football, sport, mentoring and personal development opportunities.

Through Premier League Kicks, Harrogate Town AFC CIO will: 

• Provide regular, inclusive and free opportunities for young people aged 8-18 years old to play, coach and officiate in football and other sports
• Improve the physical and mental wellbeing of young people to enhance self-esteem, confidence, social skills and foster a sense of belonging
• Create a culture of volunteering, social action and role models to instil a sense of community and social responsibility and help young people understand the value of their contributions
• Work with young people, police and other local stakeholders to promote pro-social attitudes and behaviours to create safer and more inclusive communities where young people can thrive
• Provide opportunities for young people to transition to positive pathways including education, training and employment through workshops and mentorship

The Premier League Fans Fund provides individual grants to support football clubs at all levels of the game to strengthen connections between them, their fans, and local communities. 

The fund supports a range of fan-focused and fan-led projects, helping to foster a sense of belonging through meaningful engagement. This includes schemes for under-represented groups, to further develop an inclusive and welcoming matchday experience for everyone.  

Premier League funding supports projects that respond to local need, and which aim to improve the match day environment for fans and/or residents, address fan behaviour, and community impact such as the cost-of-living crisis, build upon a club’s heritage and engage and support underrepresented fan groups (disability, ethnicity, LGBTQ+, women and girls), and fan behaviour. 

Delivery is often themed around tackling inequalities to create community cohesion, covering areas like equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI), mental health and wellbeing, physical health and wellbeing, providing education and training opportunities, supporting employability, and/or sustainability. 

The Premier League PFA (Professional Footballers’ Association) Core Fund, supports clubs to develop partnerships to tackle inequality and respond to local challenges. 

The fund has enabled football club charities across England and Wales to deliver projects responding to local need for the last 15 years.

Delivered with local strategic partners, the programmes are also supported by current and former professional football players and Academy players to inspire local communities to improve their wellbeing, achieve their potential and develop their personal skills and positive attitudes to succeed in life.

Launched in 2017, Premier League Primary Stars is the Premier League’s primary school education programme. It uses the appeal of football to inspire children aged five-to-11 to be active and develop essential skills.

Through delivery of the Premier League Primary Stars, Harrogate Town AFC CIO will:

• Provide opportunities for children to take part in more football, sport and physical activity
• Provide high-quality support to teachers with planning and delivery of PE, sport and active classroom learning
• Give children in the areas of most need the tools to achieve their best
• Increase children’s confidence and engagement in PSHE, English and Maths
• Increase engagement, and awareness of football’s positive impact in school and beyond

If you are interested in to hear more about this programme or get involved, please email justinandrewcrouch@harrogatetownafc.com for more information.