The Owls’ Community Programme has been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund of £600,000 to improve health outcomes for people above the age of 50.
The programme will utilise the investment to deliver walking football sessions on a weekly basis to improve health outcomes for people within the 50+ age bracket.
The project will have a targeted focus on engaging people living within low socio-economic communities and will be achieved through usage of venues situated within an accessible location.
The walking football programme is heavily structured around increasing movement and social networks, improving mental health, reducing isolation and developing confidence.
Deputy Head of Community at SWFC, Ben Winter, said: “We are grateful to Sky Bet Building Foundation Fund for their support of our community initiative.
“There is a continued and ever-growing need for more services supporting people aged 50 and over in Sheffield.
“The club is so important to people living in Sheffield and we are delighted to be able to use the power of the brand to support them to live happier and healthier lives.’
Over 60 EFL club community organisations have received a grant in the first phase of funding, which aims to improve the quality of life within communities through the access to, and quality of, football provisions and initiatives.
Applications covering projects across a range of categories, such as improving local sporting facilities or promoting the physical and social benefits of the game, were considered and rubber-stamped by a panel of industry experts including Sky Bet ambassador Jeff Stelling last month.
The Building Foundations Fund represents the largest multi-year sponsor-backed fund dedicated solely to community activity and the process is underway to give clubs a chance to bid for grants of up to £100,000 to invest in ongoing programmes or to develop new initiatives.
The EFL and Sky Bet agreed a record extension earlier this year that saw the sports betting brand continue as the league’s title partner until the end of the 2028/29 campaign. The commitment to a community fund was an integral part of the extension agreement.
