Thanks to players of The Health Lottery, we have awarded £10,000 to support Bloomsbury Football Foundation. Our Chief Executive Delva Patman took the opportunity to visit Acland Burghley School in Tufnell Park to see for herself the impact of the money donated.
Delva Patman, Chief Executive said,
“Everyone knows that football is the national sport but I suspect few realise how important the training sessions are to the health, development and self-esteem of such a wide range of children and young adults. It was a privilege to watch the group of partially sighted and blind children hone their footwork skills under the tuition of specialist coaches such as Owen. I also witnessed a great session designed specifically for girls. I was impressed by the skill and leadership of the coaching team and could see how enthusiastic the young people were. The strategy that the organisation has put in place to attract girls has clearly worked.”
We were told about the Girl’s High Engagement Programme which sets out how to remove gender-specific barriers so more girls can access the benefits of the game. It was great to see that in action.
Bloomsbury Football Foundation currently supports over 2,000 girls per week – making the organisation the largest provider of girls’ football in the UK, and by far the largest with a charitable mission that also offers financial support to players.
Edward King, Senior Head of Trusts & Foundations for Bloomsbury Football Foundation said,
“Some of the most powerful personal journeys we see, come through our girls-only sessions. Our ambition is to reach 10,000 girls weekly by June 2028, and your support will play a meaningful role in helping us get there.”
The organisation also welcomes refugees and asylum seekers, providing a consistent, safe space where they can play, make friends and start to feel at home.
A participant from Iran joined a girls-only session and said,
“Before I joined Bloomsbury, I was very shy and not confident. I didn’t really talk much with people, and I never played football before. But after I started, I feel more brave and happy… Now in school, when I have group work, I try to help and talk more – not be quiet like before.”
The Bloomsbury Football Foundation is now supporting 6,500 young people across London every week, a 25% increase on last year. They aim to reach 8,500 weekly participants by the end of their financial year.
Huge thanks to everyone who welcomed us on the day, in particular Ed and Sam.
More information: www.bloomsburyfootball.com