PSV Eindhoven wins ECA’s CSR Award
On the occasion of the European Club Association’s (ECA) General Assembly, the winners of the 7th Edition of the ECA Awards were announced. First introduced in 2010, the ECA Awards aim at rewarding outstanding club performances, encouraging best practice and highlighting successful club management. PSV Eindhoven, Real Madrid CF, Molde FK, ACF Fiorentina, Borussia Dortmund and Liverpool FC all recognised for outstanding achievements – on and off the pitch.
PSV Eindhoven got rewarded for their successful CSR programme “PSV United”. It was good to see that five out of ten nominees for the ECA Award for Community & Social Responsibility were clubs that are members of EFDN, European Football for Development Network. EFDN congratulates PSV Eindhoven with this well-deserved award.
“PSV United” was set up in 2011 as a direct response to a growing problem in a neighbourhood of Eindhoven, Mensfort, where vandalism and anti-social behaviour by youngsters was on the rise. Using the unique power and connection of the club with its local community, PSV Eindhoven decided to develop a group-focused educational programme for the youths in which their main interest, the football club, was used as an instrument to achieve defined objectives.Based on bi-weekly training sessions, where a “PSV in the Community Coach” uses football as a tool to address social issues such as health, respect, education and drug awareness and to share positive values, the programme has now expanded to four different neighbourhoods in the city of Eindhoven and reaches out to around 100 youths per season, including a dedicated girls’ team. Over the years, the results have been very positive, with a significant decrease in vandalism resulting in increased security for the local residents and better integration between the different communities. This is made possible especially thanks to the continuous involvement of former programme participants throughout the years as lifetime ambassadors as well as assistant-coaches.
Similar to last year, the ECA CSR Award Winner was chosen by an independent panel which this year was composed of the following members:
– Peter Gilliéron, UEFA Executive Committee Member and Chairman of the Committee for Fair Play & Social Responsibility at UEFA;
– Elsbeth Müller, Executive Director of UNICEF Switzerland;
– Freddie Hudson, Community Manager at Arsenal FC (ECA CSR Award Winner 2015).
Elsbeth Müller presented PSV Eindhoven with the award and congratulated them for their outstanding CSR Programme, stating: “The PSV United project advocates children’s rights, an assignment UNICEF has engaged in for 70 years now. Every child has a right to engage in play and recreational activities such as sports. PSV Eindhoven uses the children’s passion for football to prevent annoyance and troublemaking. They invest time, care, and attention so children develop a sense of responsibility and become caring, responsible citizens. Anti-social behaviours change, security improves, and social skills develop. This project shows that every investment into children pays back in multiple ways – the children of today are the future of our society.”
PSV Youth Programme
