Burnley FC in the Community’s work was recognised recently as the charity scooped Best Corporate Social Responsibility Scheme at the prestigious Football Business Awards in London.
Facing tough competition from fellow Premier League clubs including Everton FC, Liverpool FC and Swansea FC, the Clarets’ official charity was praised by the judges for the remarkable impact the organisation has made to the communities across East Lancashire in a relatively short space of time.
Since its founding in 2014, the charity has grown exponentially and last year, invested £1.9m into the local community via sport, education, health, social inclusion and community facility projects. Touching the lives of 24,000 individuals during the 16/17 season, Burnley FC in the Community aims to use the power and inspirational status of Burnley FC to create positive change.
Neil Hart, Chief Executive Officer of Burnley FC in the Community said: “For our work to now be recognised on a national scale demonstrates just how far we’ve come in the past few years. Burnley FC has a huge responsibility to its local community – it is the very heartbeat of the club and the town – and we are proud that through our work, we can take our club directly into the communities surrounding Turf Moor and make a real difference to the lives of local people. I’d like to thank our passionate and hard-working community staff, our incredibly supportive Board of Trustees and Club Directors, our partners, funders, and all club staff including Sean Dyche and players who help us week in, week out to carry out our mission to inspire, support and deliver change.”
The Football Business Awards judges’ comments included: “This project achieved a lot in a very short period of time. It was a committed and well-conceived plan that will serve the community for many years as it develops. Comprising novel and award-winning ideas this really was a terrific entry.”
Held at London’s historic Tobacco Dock, the Football Business Awards celebrates the essential role business plays in football and the positive impact of football in communities.
To find out more about the work of Burnley FC in the Community, please visit www.burnleyfccommunity.org.