Sky Bet and EFL offer £6m for community projects across England & Wales

Sky Bet the English Football League (EFL) have announced the launch of the Building Foundations Fund to provide £6m towards community projects across England and Wales.

Sky Bet – Flutter Entertainment‘s UK sports betting brand – in its role as the current title partner of the EFL, will invest £1m per year into what has been described as a ‘vital’ fund.

The initiative represents the largest multi-year sponsor-backed fund dedicated solely to community activity, and will give the 72 EFL clubs a chance to bid for grants of up to £100,000 to invest in ongoing programmes or to develop new initiatives.

Dan Colton, Managing Director of Sky Bet, emphasised how the firm is ‘incredibly proud’ of its long-standing partnership with the EFL.

“It’s a relationship that has gone from strength to strength over the past decade and we wanted to raise the bar further still with the ‘Building Foundations’ Fund,” he said. “The Fund is a core pillar of our new agreement with the EFL and we’re very excited to see the impact the £6m will have on such important projects across England and Wales.”

In detail, a panel of industry experts, including Sky Bet ambassador Jeff Stelling, will agree the winning bids across a range of categories, such as improving local sporting facilities or promoting the physical and social benefits of the game. 

“Everybody knows my love of the EFL,” said Stelling. “I also know all too well how lower league clubs and the communities around them struggle for financial support. I’m delighted to play a part in the ‘Building Foundations’ Fund and I truly believe it presents a great opportunity to make a real difference.”

To mark the start of the ‘Building Foundations’ Fund, Club Community Organisations (CCOs) at each of the 72 EFL Clubs will have the opportunity to spend an initial £10,000 grant.

Blackburn Rovers plans to use the initial £10,000 to grow its ‘Remember the Rovers’ programme which holds weekly sessions at Ewood Park to bring people living with dementia together through footballing memories.