The Community Trust’s South Asian Player Engagement project is supported by the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association.
Administered through the Premier League Foundation, the funding helps football clubs to tackle inequality and respond to local challenges, supporting people and their communities to be more inclusive.
The Trust continues to play a pivotal role in the Premier League’s South Asian Action Plan. Launching in May 2024 with a visit to West Ham, Community Trust coaches and local young players were invited down to participate in a collaborative training session culminating in small-sided games celebrating the work being done by both clubs in their respective communities.
Since then, our coaches, working in partnership with local mosques and grassroots clubs, have delivered regular weekly training sessions to children and young people in the heart of our South Asian communities developing their passion for football and bringing them closer to the Club.
Our participants have also been involved in local schools' competition for girls and boys in Year 5 & 6, Talent ID days and an Emerging Talent Festival at Loughborough University where our participants enjoyed competing in Luton Town club colours against 21 Premier League and EFL Clubs, overseen by professional Academy coaches and scouts.
Shipaar Miah, Community Inclusion Officer for the Trust said: “Our biggest strengths lie in our engagement with communities and the representation of our communities within our coaching staff. We have had some successes with five players securing trials and three now part of the Player Development Centres. This is powerful for our participants as they can see pathways for their potential.
"In early December, our U9s and U10s squads played against teams from our Football Development Team’s Player Development Centres to provide a benchmark for their progress. This also provided an insight into the knowledge, skills and abilities required to progress within the pre-Academy system.
Shipaar added: “Despite our U9s and U10s coming away with defeats, these experiences will have a positive impact on their development as players.”
