Accrington Stanley Community Trust is launching a new fans project, supported by the Premier League Fans Fund, after receiving a grant of £25,000.
The Premier League Fans Fund provides 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.
The project will use the reach and appeal of Accrington Stanley to engage predominantly with local women and girls in our community, as we look to increase the fan base.
Martin Fearon, CEO of Accrington Stanley Community Trust, said: ‘’We’re delighted to be launching this new project, funded by the Premier League Fans Fund. The project will see us further strengthen the links between fans and the club, helping diversify the fan base by increasing the number of women and girls’ supporters, not just at football matches but in the local community engaging in Accrington Stanley activity.’’
Open to 120 professional football club community organisations in the Premier League, English Football League, National League, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship, the Premier League Fans Fund builds on the Premier League and clubs’ commitment to ensuring long-term engagement with supporters.
Premier League Director of Community, Nick Perchard, said: “Fans are the lifeblood of football and their commitment to, and involvement with, their local club is essential to the continued success of the game at every level.
“Through the Premier League Fans Fund we are investing in projects that will enhance connections between clubs and fans, whilst also delivering even more community impact. By supporting clubs across England and Wales, from both the men’s and women’s game, to develop projects that respond directly to the needs of their fans, we can help to ensure that football offers a fantastic 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).
Delivery is often themed around tackling inequalities to create community cohesion, covering areas like equality, diversity, and inclusion, mental health and wellbeing, physical health and wellbeing, providing education and training opportunities, supporting employability, and/or sustainability.
Funding is flexible to empower professional football clubs, and their community organisations, to develop fan-focused and fan-led projects that respond directly to the needs of their local community.
The Premier League Fans Fund is administered through the Premier League Charitable Fund.
To find out more about the Premier League Fans Fund, please visit www.premierleague.com/plcf
