BRADFORD CITY FC COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDED £100,000 GRANT FROM SKY BET EFL BUILDING FOUNDATIONS FUND

Bradford City FC Community Foundation has been awarded a £100,000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund to support young men aged 18–24 in Bradford who face high unemployment, poor mental health, and limited opportunities.

The programme will combine sport, coaching, and life skills to build confidence, resilience, and routes into education or employment. Entitled “The Way Forward”, the programme is mentoring and football-based for young men facing barriers in some of Bradford’s most deprived areas, and aims to guide participants toward improved wellbeing and greater control over their futures.

The Foundation’s application for the was inspired by Gareth Southgate’s response to The Centre for Social Justice’s Lost Boys report in March 2025. The official charity of Bradford City AFC has now committed to harness the power of sport and the City badge to make a positive change to the lives of some of the most vulnerable people in the Bradford community, giving young men in the city the self-belief and resilience they need to find their way forward in challenging circumstances, and in a challenging world.

Foundation CEO and former Bantam, Ian Ormondroyd, said: “Growing up in Bradford, I experienced first-hand the power football naturally has in changing the trajectory of young men’s lives. Our commitment to this city is to support everyone, from all backgrounds, and that includes young men who are struggling with finding their place in society. This grant allows us to support them in their futures, and have a say in ensuring they are viewed as positive, contributing members of our society. I’d like to thank SkyBet and the EFL for providing us with these vital funds, so we can continue to make a difference in Bradford.”

Six EFL Club Charities have received a grant in the second phase of funding in 2025, which aims to improve the quality of life within communities through the access to, and quality of, football provisions and initiatives. The clubs that successfully applied for funding were Bradford City, Colchester United, Coventry City, Huddersfield Town, Shrewsbury Town and Walsall.

Pavan Sembi, the Foundation’s project lead for the programme, said: “Following extensive research in our community, a large number of young men expressed feelings of being forgotten in their communities. That made our task simple - we need to empower young men to take control of improving their circumstances, and empower them to be supportive, contributing members of their communities. A loss of identity for men and boys in deprived areas is something we have seen and heard consistently throughout our work - “The Way Forward” is our chance to engage them in positive activities, imbue them with the skills they need to grow and develop as people and professionals, and create a lasting legacy they can carry forward into adulthood.”

Applications covering projects across a range of categories, such as improving local sporting facilities or promoting the physical and social benefits of the game, were considered, and rubber-stamped by a panel of industry experts including Sky Bet ambassador Jeff Stelling on Thursday 12^th June.

The Building Foundations Fund is in its second year and represents the largest multi-year sponsor-backed fund dedicated solely to community activity and the process offers the 72 EFL clubs a chance to bid for grants of up to £100,000 to invest in ongoing programmes or to develop new initiatives.

The EFL and Sky Bet agreed a record extension last  year that saw the sports betting brand continue as the League’ title partner until the end of the 2028/29 campaign. The commitment to a community fund was an integral part of the extension agreement.