Transforming lives through football: The London Playing Fields Foundation

We are delighted to announce that the London Playing Fields Foundation (LPFF) has been chosen to be the Charity Partner of the 2018 Season for the Bostik League.

The League, which has previously partnered with charities such as Prostate Cancer and British Heart Foundation, was keen this year to support a charity that worked in the field of mental health. League Chairman Nick Robinson was attracted to the Foundation’s award-winning mental health project, Coping Through Football, and met with LPFF Chief Executive Alex Welsh in December to launch the exciting partnership.

Coping Through Football, which has just celebrated its 10th Anniversary, is a collaboration between LPFF, an NHS Trust (NELFT) and the Leyton Orient Trust. It uses the power of football to help adults and young people with long term mental health issues to get their lives back on track. The inclusive football sessions boost participants’ self-esteem, physical health, social skills and the ability to live more independent lives.

On Sunday 7 January, at the League’s mid-season meeting at Aveley Football Club, Alex Welsh spoke passionately to the clubs about Coping Through Football and the other transformational work the LPFF undertakes. “It is an honour to be chosen as Charity Partner of the Bostik League; a League which gave me 17 years of immense pleasure as a player and coach. We look forward to working with all 72 clubs in the League to raise awareness of the importance of playing fields in transforming the lives of local communities.”

Bostik League Chair Nick Robinson echoed these views:

“I am absolutely delighted that the League has been able to appoint the Foundation as its Charity Partner. We wanted to have a Charity which was linked to football, and where we could see positive benefits for individuals, and Alex and his team have impressed us with their passion for their work.

We look forward to a successful campaign.”

There are plans to hold a bucket collection at matches over the Easter weekend, and the Foundation is looking forward to building long term relationships with Bostik League clubs. Last year our clubs raised almost eight thousand pounds for our chosen charity- the Prostate Cancer Charity- and we hope to do just as well for the LPFF.

Find out more about the London Playing Fields Foundation by visiting their website here. You can also follow them on twitter or Facebook.