Royal Antwerp FC join the network

EFDN welcome Belgian football club based in the city of Antwerp, Royal Antwerp FC as a new member.

Royal Antwerp FC is aware of its responsibility towards society, especially with having the most supporters in its region and, with being one of the biggest clubs in Belgium. In 2018, Royal Antwerp Football Foundation started taking steps to professionalise and expand their community work. Since then, many projects have been set up and more resources have been allocated to the Foundation.

The clubs’ community work focuses on 3 main pillars, these are:

The supporters
The neighbourhood and the network around the club
The disadvantaged groups within the community

For the Foundation, comprehensive community work can act as a catalyst in cooperation between the club and the city and can create new sponsorships as well as strengthening the support within the city and the neighbourhood.

As a ‘team of the city’, the club strives for inclusion of all supporters or fans of the sport. They take their responsibility and make a meaningful contribution to the city of Antwerp and to the Antwerp community. They do this through the integration of vulnerable target groups, involving them in the work of the club or by supporting them in their own operations. The club sees themselves as a social partner for various bodies to support different target groups.

The club wants to create opportunities for everyone on and off the pitch through football, focusing on:

Togetherness: approaching the current fan base as a discussion partner, involving them in the workings of the club
Inclusion: promoting community integration and harnessing the power of diversity
Health: promote the health and well-being of the community through a positive attitude towards an active lifestyle
Education: lowering the threshold to education, increasing social involvement and facilitating young people’s access to the labour market

If you would like to find out more information about Royal Antwerp and the programmes they operate, please visit their member page here.