The FA Group is committed to being socially responsible as part of our day-to-day business operation at Wembley Stadium and St. George’s Park, and in our face-to-face work with partners across the country.
This commitment is to our environmental, ethical, charitable and community activities. Our corporate responsibility programme is about The FA ensuring that we continue to meet our responsibilities beyond the parameters of the game we support every day.
Following the success of the Teenage Cancer Trust partnership, and with strong staff involvement, Breast Cancer Care was appointed The FA Group’s official charity partner.
This partnership spans 24 months and ends in July 2016. To date, the charity has received just over £250,000 - £150,000 from 2014 and 2015 FA Community Shield Fund donations and a further £100,000 through staff and partner related-fundraising activity.
Breast Cancer Care's #PassItOn campaign
The charity has so far benefited from a range of unique opportunities for their service users and volunteers. Many of our Wembley events have proved a great way to celebrate and promote the partnership which will be highlighted even more at England v France on 17 November – the official Breast Cancer Care international.
Notable campaigns have included the Pass It On awareness initiative that saw England stars helping to spread important messaging.
The FA also continued to offer its support to three other charities which have a strong connection to the organisation.
The Bobby Moore Fund and the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation do great work in the field of Cancer Research in memory of two special footballing men and we are proud to continue to support them both and the Homeless Football Association – a charity that empowers those experiencing homelessness using the power of football.
Gary Cahill supports the #PassItOn campaign
The England players continue to support good causes through their England Footballers’ Foundation while we also work with our colleagues at UEFA and FIFA to support their good causes as and when appropriate.
A stand-out moment was when the work of the NSPCC and its long standing relationship with The FA, through the Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU), was recognised by UEFA as its Charity Partner in August 2014 and awarded €1m.
Once again, The FA backed the Football Supporters’ Federation and Supporters Direct annual conference and also gave backing to important campaigns by the likes of Kick It Out and Level Playing Field. Several activities were staged with our England Supporters Club while following the senior men’s team overseas.
The latter part of 2014 also marked the start of the Football Remembers project – a joint collaboration between The FA, Premier League, Football League and British Council to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War.
A series of activities culminated in a special event at the National Memorial Arboretum in December 2014 to commemorate the story of the Christmas Truce.
Theo Walcott with HRH the Duke of Cambridge
England player Theo Walcott and FA President HRH The Duke of Cambridge judged a schools’ design competition that saw 10-year-old Spencer Turner create a lasting memorial.
On a military theme, The FA continues to support the Tickets for Troops initiative. In September 2015, patients and staff from the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court were among hundreds of troops cheering England on against Switzerland at Wembley Stadium.
In August 2014, The FA had extended its Tickets for Troops partnership through to summer 2016, as a minimum allocating 500 seats to the charity for every England international. To date, well over 20,000 tickets have been donated since the partnership began in 2010.
The FA is committed to working with the local community around both Wembley and the National Football Centre at St. George’s Park.
We have a close partnership with Brent Council which ensures that the benefits and opportunities of the Stadium are shared by the community at large.
The Arthur Wharton statue at St. George's Park
The Learning Zone is a dedicated classroom within the Stadium for use by local schools and continues to be a thriving asset for the community. A notable event was a special visit by England defender Gary Cahill and manager Roy Hodgson around St. George’s Day in April.
Likewise FA employees offer their time to provide mentoring, work experience and open days for local schools who are seeking to provide help, guidance and opportunities for their pupils.
This has also extended to strong local support for Breast Cancer Care including an FA-funded Breast Awareness Roadshow Bus touring the country.
Whenever possible tickets are distributed through the Council to local groups who want to be able to come and share the big event experience on their doorstep. St. George’s Park, in its third year of operation, continues to provide a home for community football with up to 40 local teams playing there week in week out.
St. George’s Park is well on the way to meeting its commitment of creating 100 local apprentice opportunities in its first ten years. It also now plays host to a statue to Arthur Wharton, the world’s first black professional player after a ceremony in October 2014.