EFDN Highlights: May 2021

EFDN Highlights: May 2021

As 2021 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 May.

EFDN AND AWABOT TEAM UP FOR EFDN FLORENCE PROGRAMME EFDN AND HELD WEBINAR

Awabot is the official EFDN Florence Programme partner. The EFDN Florence programme is named after Florence Nightingale and ‘Floor’, the niece of EFDN’s CEO Hubert Rovers who suffered a spinal cord injury at the beginning of 2021 and became paralyzed from the waist down at the age of 14. The EFDN Florence programme provides ill children and young people with the opportunity to become the FAN of the Match from a distance. This initiative will see a first team player take a robot onto the pitch making it possible for a fan who cannot attend the match due to illness to join the line-up, watch the game from the sidelines and join the players after the game during their lap of honour.

EFDN and partner Awabot welcomed more than 20 clubs from across Europe for the first EFDN Florence Programme webinar. EFDN members Barça Foundation, Paris Saint-Germain Foundation and OL Fondation supported the launch of the programme by sharing their experiences with Awabot robots.

Women in Football Campaign

The Show Racism the Red Card Europe campaign “Women in Football” aims to create awareness of women working in the football industry and in CSR in football in particular. Research shows that women still face challenges in the world of football, ranging from gender discrimination, sexism and pay gap differences. In fact, whilst there are already many female football stars, too few women are working as head coaches, managing directors or play a leading role in football. Unfortunately, inequality does not only exist on the pitch but also off the pitch. It is time for greater equality between men and women in the world of football. 

We have contacted women active in the European Football for Development Network (EFDN) or working in CSR in football. We then shared the personal stories. We hope that our campaign created visibility for women working in CSR and the stories will be a good addition to our #DiversityWins educational programme. Our aim is to inspire and motivate young girls who dream of turning their passion into a future career in football.

EUROPE DAY – THE UNITING POWER OF FOOTBALL

Europe Day held on 9 May every year celebrates peace and unity in Europe. EFDN consists of more than 130 clubs, leagues and FAs from 29 European countries. Together with our members, partners and sponsors, we contribute to a peaceful, sustainable, inclusive and active Europe. More than 10,000 people participated in EFDN programmes so far. EFDN members reach more than 1 million persons per year through their community initiatives. Read more about some of our Pan-European programmes and how we use football as a tool to promote intercultural understanding and social cohesion.

MEMBER NEWS

As part of the British Mental Health Awareness Week, the Derby County Community Trust held a presentation on mental health needs in Derby at our 15th EFDN Conference, with the aim to show how they work, the challenges they are facing and what it brings to their society.

Club Brugge was able to call itself the best Football & Community organisation of the Jupiler Pro League for a year. The club received the award from a jury of independent experts for its social club activities and the efforts of the Club Brugge Foundation during the past season.