Discover a Few Of the Speakers at the 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference

Discover a Few Of the Speakers at the 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference

The European Football for Development Network (EFDN) will host its 18th EFDN Conference from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. The topic of this EFDN Conference will be “Sustainability and Human Rights”, which will take place at the Groupama Arena, the stadium of EFDN Member Ferenvárosi TC.

EFDN Conferences bring a unique opportunity for CSR experts and newcomers into the CSR world to learn from each other and share their insights about topics such as fundraising in CSR, environmental sustainability, anti-discrimination, social inclusion, online safeguarding, physical activity in younger and older population, or STEM education, among others. The format of the conference includes panels, breakout sessions, study visits and roundtables, and offers multiple chances to network and connect with other EFDN members and experts in the CSR in football.

This news article will give you an impression of some more of the knowledgeable and competent speakers in the fields of sustainability and human rights within football who we have contacted to share their expertise with you:

During the conference, each of the final four #Morethanfootball shortlisted clubs will be presenting their projects with the conference attendees. Below you can find some more information about these speakers and their projects.

Steve Beharall, Head of the Newcastle United Foundation, is a confirmed speaker at our 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Budapest from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022.

Mr. Beharall has the responsibility for leading the Foundations Senior Management Team with accountability for strategy, business planning, leadership, management, governance, finance and risk. Since 2019 he has played a strategic role in significantly growing the Foundation income by developing innovative programmes and helping grow services to generate fees, sales and grants. Newcastle United Foundation employ over 200 staff and have been recognised nationally at the 2021 Football Business Awards as one of the best community organisation in the Premier League. 

Mr Beharall will be presenting about the NUCASTLE project. NUCASTLE is an historic project for Newcastle United Foundation and  partners, it is not just about bricks and mortar; it is about transforming lives, giving a community a new lease of life and changing it for the better, forever. By bringing this unused community centre back into use, NUCASTLE is now a vibrant, state-of-the-art hub for sport, education and wellbeing, with programmes delivered by an award-winning Foundation team.

The presenatation will cover the following three points:

• 1. Regional ‘career’s hub, delivering careers, enterprise and employability
• 2. Participation in physical activity for disabled people across the entire North East.
• 3. Safe, structured environment for young peopleand families to reduce anti-social behaviour and helping  disadvantaged communities

Bas Schreurs, CSR Manager at FC Twente, is a confirmed speaker at our 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Budapest from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022.

Bas Schreurs, educated in Public & Business Administration. Additionally, he has completed a Master in Sports Policy and Sports Management (University Utrecht), courses Management Professional Football (Dutch Football Association – KNVB), Football Social Responsibility (UEFA) and Impact Management (VSBfonds). Mr. Schreurs has 12 years work experience in business, government and civil society, all related to sport. He has gained the largest part of this experience at FC Twente, where he worked in the football department, ticketing and since 2019 as Manager CSR at the club.

The presentation Mr. Schreurs will be giving will be about their #Morethanfootball shortlisted project called Heya de Keu! Which is a program for the senior community in Twente. Currently, there are 1.3 million people in The Netherlands of 75 years of age or over. The expectation is for this number to rise up to 2.1 million people by the year 2030. Over half of the 1.3 million people of 75 years of age or over claim to feel lonely. FC Twente make effort to reduce this number by hosting a range of activities and create social groups for senior citizens in their Twente region.  By hosting multiple activities with a primary focus on increasing the social interaction between seniors they aim to reduce loneliness and to create a senior community for the long term. Under the name of several smaller projects, they provide several activities in with customization for various target groups among seniors in our region. These smaller projects are Walking Football,  FC Twente Football Choir, Heya de Keu! with fan clubs, Talking about Football  and the Treasury of FC Twente.

Phillip Smith, CEO of the Northampton Town FC Community Trust, is a confirmed speaker at our 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Budapest from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022.

Mr. Smith joined Northampton Town FC Community Trust as CEO in 2017, leading the organisation through a period of extensive growth. He has over a decade of experience across the community, sport, education and health sectors with particular expertise in strategy, health and fundraising. He is passionate about using the power of sport and football to make a positive difference in the communities he’s worked in. Prior to his current role, Mr. Smith worked for Leyton Orient Trust as Head of Health and Wellbeing where his work recieved both local and national recognition through the innovative approaches used to support the clubs fan base and wider community.

Mr. Smith will be outlining the Northampton Town FC Community Trust Tackling Loneliness Project which has been shortlisted for the #Morethanfootball award. Mr. Smith will outline how the project was delivered, who it supported and the impact it has, and continues to make, to reduce feelings of loneliness across the community.

Jon Ruigómez , Second Vicepresident at Athletic Club Fundazioa, is a confirmed speaker at our 18th EFDN #Morethanfootball Conference in Budapest from the 14th until the 16th of November 2022.

Second Vice President of Athletic Club since June 2022, Jon has managed various public and private companies and has experience in the cultural, legal and financial sectors. He has been the director of Itsasmuseum (Bilbao Maritime Museum) since 2010.

In recent years, the Athletic Club Foundation has scheduled more than 200 free cultural events, including art exhibitions, improvised poetry performances in Basque, reading clubs in local schools, film screenings, book and much more. Culture and football united together to improve both worlds and, as a result, society too.

The presentation Jon will be giving during the conference will be composed of the Athletic Club Fundazioa project which has been shortlisted for the #Morethanfootball award. The presentation consists of:

• Athletic Club is a unique team in the world, with a special signing policy that creates an unbreakable bond between the fans and the players.
• This connection can and should be used to help the social development of our region: The Athletic Club Foundation acts as an agent of change.
• Culture has a special role to play in improving societies. Athletic Club always looks to to be an ally in education: we are a family, we are responsible for our young people.