The Football Association met with fellow sports organisations and health professionals at Elland Road in late 2005 to explore how partnerships can contribute to improvements in the health of local communities.
In the first of nine Sport & Health Partnership Regional Workshops, representatives from the Department of Health, NHS Trusts, Local Authorities, Sport England and both amateur and professional sports organisations met to share best practice and discuss health development opportunities.
Speaking at the event, Caroline Flint, Minister for Public Health, stressed that “There is no need to reinvent the wheel. Instead we need to share the best practice in sport that has already demonstrated innovative ways of increasing baseline activity."
Following the Minister, Kelly Simmons, The FA’s Head of Football Development, went on to talk of the work football is already engaged in with the Department of Health to achieve positive health outcomes across the country.
The guide to this work, the ‘Football & Health’ brochure, created by The FA, The FA Premier League, the Professional Footballers Association and the Football Foundation in conjunction with Sport England, DCMS and the Department of Health, outlines how working jointly to develop programmes aimed at improving health and physical activity can contribute significantly towards health improvement.
As the largest exercise provider in England, with over 15 million participants, Football has a number of nationwide and regional programmes in place to use the power of football to promote physical activity and healthy living including the Hat-Trick regeneration programme, Fit for Football and Positive Futures.
The FA’s Hat-Trick programme, funded in partnership with both UEFA and the Government, deploys full-time football co-ordinators into some of the country's most deprived areas in order to help address issues such as health and social exclusion.
Fit for Football is run at a number of Football League clubs and aims to increase physical activity, reduce smoking and encourage healthier eating.
Meanwhile, Positive Futures has worked with over 50,000 marginalised young people living in the most deprived neighbourhoods, providing access to education programmes, drug awareness and routes into training and employment.
We will shortly be providing the public with dates and venues for the eight additional workshops but should you seek further information or would like to request a ‘Football & Health’ brochure you can contact us at
Health@TheFA.com Download the Football Health WalletDownload Promoting Healthy Living For Children Download Marketing Health & Players As Role ModelsDownload Health Facilities At Football GroundsDownload Promoting Social InclusionDownload Promoting Physical Activity
