'Communities investment has life-changing impacts'

Ahead of the new season, find out how Premier League funding is making a difference to thousands of people across England and Wales

With the new Premier League campaign set to begin, the investment the League and its clubs make in communities across England and Wales has been celebrated at the home of 2020/21 champions Manchester City.

"The Premier League basically enable the community schemes to deliver real life-changing programmes and have life-changing impacts and that can't be underestimated," said Mike Geary, head of City in the Community (CITC), the champions' charitable arm.

This week, CITC coaches, volunteers and participants came together at the club's Etihad Campus to mark the Premier League's work off the pitch and commitment to the wider game.

"The Premier League reinvests 15 per cent of its revenue outside of the clubs," says Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters. "That will total about £1.5bn over the three-year commercial term that we are currently in.

"It goes towards parachute payments, solidarity payments into the EFL and National League, into grassroots, communities all over the country and into social outreach programmes."

One of those programmes is Premier League Kicks, which this year celebrates its 15th anniversary and uses the power of football and the value of sports participation to inspire youngsters in areas where it is needed most.

At present, PL Kicks is delivered by 90 Premier League, EFL and National League clubs, with 175,000 young people set to be engaged in the programme between 2019 and 2022.

"Manchester City are the reigning champions and for them to go into those communities and say, 'We are here to help', that means a lot to those communities," said Martin Ingham-Griffith, CITC community outreach manager. "It's what we've got a responsibility to do."

The Premier League funding distribution model means the League and its clubs provide world-leading levels of financial support to the football community.

And on the ground, that funding means that clubs are able to make a difference to young people.

"Premier League investment for us is hugely important," Geary says. "There are thousands and thousands of children and young people across Manchester accessing these programmes."

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