Royal Antwerp FC

Royal Antwerp FC

Royal Antwerp FC is aware of its responsibility towards society, especially with having the most supporters in its region and, with being one of the biggest clubs in Belgium. In 2018, Royal Antwerp Football Foundation started taking steps to professionalise and expand their community work. Since, many projects have been set up and more resources have been allocated to the Foundation.

The clubs’ community work focuses on 3 main pillars, these are:

• The supporters
• The neighbourhood and the network around the club
• The disadvantaged groups within the community

For the Foundation, comprehensive community work can act as a catalyst in cooperation between the club and the city and can create new sponsorships as well as strengthening the support within the city and the neighbourhood.

Mission

As a ‘team of the city’, the club strives for inclusion of all supporters or fans of the sport. They take their responsibility and make a meaningful contribution to the city of Antwerp and to the Antwerp community. They do this through the integration of vulnerable target groups and involve them in the work of the club or support them in their own operations. The club sees themselves as a social partner for various bodies to support different target groups.

Vision

• Creating opportunities for everyone on and off the pitch through football
• Togetherness: approaching the current fan base as a discussion partner, involving them in the workings of the club
• Inclusion: promoting community integration and harnessing the power of diversity
• Health: promote the health and well-being of the community through a positive attitude towards an active lifestyle
• Education: lowering the threshold to education, increasing social involvement and facilitating young people’s access to the labour market

CSR projects

• Streetboys: The Antwerp Streetboys is an initiative that has been up and running for several years and that has the full support of RAFC. For some years now, the team of homeless people/people in need has been playing tournaments and matches against other Homeless teams. Some of the players work as a cleaner or other staff in the stadium.
• Playing for Success: Since February 2016, RAFC has delivered educational sessions as part of the ‘Playing 4 Success’ project. Someone from the club accompanies this and every year there is a player the ambassador of the project. Students who have learning difficulties benefit from the fun environment during the 8-week programme. There is a graduation ceremony at the end.
• RAAFC: Since this season Antwerp has his own football team for peoples with an amputee. It’s the first team in Belgium and Antwerp supports the team with training material, outfits and pays for all the costs of traveling. They can only play against foreign teams so they have to go abroad to play tournaments or friendly games.

In addition to this, the club delivers projects such as Football Memories, a fitness programme for employees and a football tournament for refugees, blood donation and more.  Furthermore, RAFC supports awareness campaigns on diversity, sustainability, drug consumption and Fair Play.