EFDN welcomes Queens Park FC to the network!

EFDN welcomes Queens Park FC to the network!

EFDN is happy to announce that Queen Park FC Foundation has joined the Network. The Queen’s Park FC Foundation aims to reduce inequality in communities across Glasgow with a particular focus on its Southside including Govanhill which is one of Glasgow’s most deprived communities. 

Their strategic objectives are to improve mental and physical well-being; increase participation in lifelong learning; build capacity and resilience within the community; and increase participation in sport, particularly football. They use the power of football to engage with those who would not normally engage with other organisations and to retain them within their programmes and projects for longer. 

Their focus lies in working in partnership with other agencies and key stakeholders to maximise and pool their resources, experiences and talents, build strong and resilient relationships in communities; and deliver a wide range of programmes, projects, and interventions that support people to achieve their potential. 

The foundation engages in multiple CSR programmes and activities, some of which you can see below.

Spiders Partnership School Programme

The Spiders Partnership School Programme is delivered in primary and secondary schools across the South Side and aims to support the school to develop an environment that enables all pupils to be healthy and active learners; to inspire and motivate pupils to be active and healthy learners through the provision of bespoke high-quality activity and programmes; and to advocate the importance of a healthy active lifestyle in families. During November 2022 they were engaging with almost 2000 pupils through this programme 

Tactics for families

Tactics for families use football to support families to improve their relationships through using key messages used by football clubs and their fans such as working as a team, supporting each other, everyone playing to the rules, and each family member knowing and playing their role in the team or family. The programme is delivered in some of Glasgow’s most deprived communities where families are most at risk of dysfunction. 

Extra Time

Extra Time works with older people at risk of social exclusion in Glasgow. Using the power of football our project has a focus on building strong relationships in and across communities and supporting older people to reach their potential.

A major aim of the project is to support older people to develop relationships within their community that will sustain and improve their lives. This includes, for example, increased social interaction with each other which will help older people increase their peer support groups, and closer relationships with other supporting third sector and statutory agencies that can, for example, provide welfare benefits advice.

Their aim is also that project participants become heavily involved in the planning, delivery, and management of the project. Through these, they will develop new life skills around communication, teamwork, leadership, and organisation which will in turn improve their mental well-being and lead to improvement in their day-to-day lives whilst having fun and making new friends. 

Hubert Rovers, CEO of EFDN: “It is a pleasure to welcome Queens Park FC Foundation to the network. It is exciting to see how much work they put in at their community and surrounding areas, which is one of Glasgow’s most deprived communities. It is inspiring to see how they use the power of football to engage with those who would not normally engage with other organisations and to retain them within their programmes and projects. We are proud to have them as a member of our network, as it is motivational to have a member which values the power of partnerships and best practice sharing.”