EFL Day of Action to showcase the power of football

City to host special event at St Sidwells Primary School

More than one million people are now participating in football-led community programmes and activities every season.

On Tuesday 25 April, all 72 EFL clubs will come together for the EFL’s Community Day of Action to highlight and showcase the impact of this work in towns and cities nationwide.

Exeter City's Football in the Community are holding a special Day of Action at St Sidwells Primary School between 1.30pm and 3pm, which will see City first-team players visit the school to take part in a special afternoon session.

EFL Clubs use the power of football to have a positive effect on thousands of people’s lives in the UK every day, helping participants to improve their lives with programmes focused on health and wellbeing, education, community outreach and much more.

The EFL’s Community Day of Action presents a unique - and brand new - opportunity for all EFL clubs to simultaneously raise awareness of the impact they are having by creating a national platform to highlight the community work that happens across 72 towns and cities, 365 days a year, seven days a week.

Approximately £50million is being invested every season by the EFL Trust and Club Community Trusts into key areas, using the power of football to help people in need across sport, education, health and community engagement programmes.

The work is having a significant impact in communities up and down the country.

For example:

• For every £1 spent to deliver Millwall Community Trust’s programmes – more than £7 is generated in cost savings to society
• Portsmouth’s crowdfunding campaign generated over £100,000 to build a new community facility to increase the Trust’s capacity by 100% 
• Wigan Athletic have helped to reduce anti-social behaviour by up to 50% in selected communities by providing sports opportunities for 4,000 young people 
• At Charlton Athletic the social value of the community trust’s mentoring programme is estimated at over £2.3million 
• Over 1,000 young people have participated in NCS with Rotherham United, improving their skillset, confidence and raising over £28,000
• Sheffield United have delivered the Kinder +Sport move and learn project to almost 2,000 children over 41 schools across the city
  

Shaun Harvey, EFL Chief Executive, said: “EFL clubs play a pivotal role in their communities and what our inaugural Day of Action makes abundantly clear is how this work is having a significant impact, not just on match days but seven days a week, 365 days a year.

“The power of football continues to be used to improve people’s health and wellbeing and provide increased opportunities to develop individuals’ education and career prospects.

“Such important work should be commended and clearly illustrates how EFL clubs and their Trusts are contributing to society outside of the game, achieving tangible results and lasting change.“