Construct - Issue 51

Community

USING FOOTBALL AS A FORCE FOR GOOD TO TRANSFORM THE LIVES OF VULNERABLE YOUNG PEOPLE BUILDING FUTURES THROUGH FOOTBALL

FM Conway’s long-standing support for the Street Soccer Foundation – first championed by former CEO Michael Conway MBE – continues to go from strength to strength as the charity celebrates 10 years of changing young lives through the power of football. When FM Conway first partnered with the Street Soccer Foundation in 2016, it wasn’t just backing a programme, it was committing to a mission for the long haul: to change young lives for the better. Nearly a decade on, that partnership has helped over 2,000 vulnerable and homeless young people across the UK find confidence, purpose and opportunity through football.

The Foundation celebrated its 10th anniversary with a London tournament for over 100 vulnerable young people.

It all began with a handwritten letter from Street Soccer founder and CEO Keith Mabbutt to FM Conway’s former CEO Michael Conway MBE. What followed was a partnership rooted in shared values and a belief that businesses should be active partners in creating social change. FM Conway’s engagement with the Foundation has gone beyond mere funding to offering office space, hosting industry insight days for graduates, and helping measure the programme’s social value. Today, every £1 invested in the Foundation’s Academy generates £36 in social good. The Academy runs 12-week personal development courses, in partnership with professional football clubs and their community teams nationwide. These combine football coaching, mindset training, mentoring and employability workshops — all designed to help young people move from sometimes difficult situations into work, education or training.

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