EFDN Highlights: April 2020
As 2020 comes to an end, EFDN invites you to look back on this year’s top activities, projects and news stories. Take a look at some highlights from April.
International Day of Sport for Development and Peace
EFDN was founded to use the social power of football to positively change the lives of fellow Europeans. April 6th – the International Day of Sport for Development and Peace – represents perfectly the spirit of EFDN, what we have built over the last 6 years and what we hope to continue building in the future. To celebrate, we showcased some of the most impactful community and social responsibility programmes we and our partners and members conduct to change lives through football.
Welcome Through Football Webinars
In light of the COVID-19 crisis, EFDN was forced to move all events, meetings and conferences to a virtual setting. On the 14th and 15th of April, EFDN hosted a series of webinars with all 7 participants of the Welcome Through Football project to design new ways to continue and develop the programmes implemented by member clubs in their local communities. Shakhtar Social, Sheffield United Foundation, Fundação Benfica, FC Emmen, SV Werder Bremen, Everton in the Community and Apollon Limassol FC were present at the e-meeting to share their ideas and status updates.
“We strongly believe that this can be an amazing opportunity for the refugees attending the activities so that they can feel more integrated in our society and develop their skills and employability. Sports and SL Benfica will most definitely make a huge impact on their lives!”
Fundação Benfica
EFDN Interview Series
EFDN offers a unique platform for CSR in European football. It seemed right to us, in such a difficult time, to continue spreading awareness and promoting the initiatives and know-how of our Network. On the 17th of April, we announced the launch of a new interview series featuring CSR practitioners to share their organisations’ CSR projects, their impact in the community and how they redeveloped their programmes to overcome the COVID-19 crisis. On April 20th, we held our first interview with Bálint Máté, International Project Manager at Ferencvárosi TC. We also had the chance to catch up with PSV Eindhoven Foundation Sportcoach Harm Oppers on the 24th and Montrose FC Community Trust CEO Peter Davidson on the 29th.
Bálint Máté, International Project Manager Ferencvárosi TC 
Harm Oppers, Sportcoach PSV Eindhoven Foundation 
Peter Davidson, CEO Montrose FC Community Trust
Member News
The European Commission updated the #BeActive programme and launched the #BeActiveAtHome campaign to ensure all Europeans stayed physically active in lockdown.
Chelsea FC teamed up with UK charity Refuge to raise awareness and funds to empower women and children living through domestic abuse during the COVID-19 lockdown.
Paris Saint-Germain gathered funds through auctions and special sales to provide support for the 100,000 healthcare workers of the Greater Paris University Hospitals (AP-HP).
New Members
In March, EFDN welcomed new members Fundación Real Betis Balompié and Royal Antwerp FC.
