WELCOME TRUSTEES OUR STRATEGY Our board of trustees meet every We work in partnership with Scotland’s 42 six weeks to provide strategic professional clubs and external agencies to promote, Our Annual Report 2019-20 Associated Trusts and SPFL Clubs (ATCs) counsel, approve plans, monitor support, fund and administer activities which inspire comes at a time of extraordinary have brought comfort where there was risk, and oversee fiduciary and SPFL clubs to help meet the identified social needs of uncertainty. grief, hope where there was fear, and governance responsibilities. the people of Scotland. We have all faced this wretched global smiles where there was sadness. Read trustee bios on our website. Our purpose is to use football’s unique presence to pandemic; it has claimed thousands upon As we often say, football in Scotland spfltrust.org.uk assist Scotland’s people to achieve their goals and thousands of lives, and caused untold has an unrivalled ability to reach out improve their life chances. distress which will be felt long after to those in need. Our vision is to work with SPFL clubs to use Covid-19 is defeated. During this time, ATCs have reached out the unique power of football to engage with This year our Annual Report necessarily further than ever before, providing lifeline communities. takes on a different approach, for the support, working with local partners, to Our work focuses on five core areas: financial year ending 31 May 2020. help many of those worst affected by the pandemic. All of our programmes faced significant HEALTH disruption during the final months of this It is our intention to publish a Covid-19 reporting period. impact report on the work of our ATCs ATTAINMENT That said, the period until early 2020 before the end of 2020. Doing so will includes a number of notable highlights, enable us to tell some of the extraordinary INCLUSION as we developed existing programmes, stories behind this unprecedented time. secured funding for new partnerships, This year’s Annual Report also takes on CAPACITY BUILDING and continued to strengthen relationships a new look. Shortly after the end of the with stakeholders. reporting period, we launched a new look PROMOTION And, even in the darkness of the last few brand. A brighter, fresher feel, it brings months, we have seen light. our tagline Trusted to Support to life, and At this time, our leadership team and board of provides a visual structure for our strategic trustees have commenced a review, in line with the pillars of activity. end of the current strategic period in 2021. Yours,

Followers +13% Nicky Reid Chief Executive FINANCIAL UPDATE Followers Year ending 31 May 2020 Year ending 31 May 2019 +20% Income: £550,459 Income: £606,857 Expenditure: £623,817 Expenditure: £539,150

Although the SPFL Trust is reporting a significant deficit in this year’s accounts, this is as a Website visits during Covid-19 consequence of the trustees’ commitment to further expand and deliver our activities in +807% line with our charitable objectives, using an unexpected one-off donation received in May 2019 (i.e. at the end of the previous financial year).

2 3 2 SPFL Trust 2019-20 Annual Report 3 Alison McKenzie, Fans rise to the Partick Thistle FFIT challenge! Joy of Moving Football Fans in Training (FFIT) may have This year’s programme ran from August FFIT Stat Attack! been derailed by the pandemic, but the 2019 and ended earlier than usual, in Hearts became the third club good news is that when the programme March 2020. There were 610 participants to engage in a project that was paused we were on target to exceed in total and 389 completed the course at encourages primary school aged WOMEN over 1,000 men and women. this point. Courses planned for the Spring would have comfortably taken the number children to become more active. Those who eventually finished the of participants over the 1,000 mark. The Jam Tarts, alongside Celtic and 263 61.98%* programme achieved some great results Rangers, delivered Ferraro UK’s PARTICIPANTS RETENTION and made significant changes to their This year’s metrics do show a drop in Move+Learn project, a national lifestyle. ‘completers’ but this was because so many school-based programme for children TOTAL TOTAL FFIT courses were unable to finish after Europe’s leading sport intervention aged 9-10 which aims to inspire children WEIGHT WAIST lockdown was implemented. LOSS 1125.28CM programme was developed by the SPFL to get physically active and learn about LOSS 622.4KG Trust in partnership with the University the importance of a healthy diet. of Glasgow. Our 12-week programme has This year’s Joy of Moving festival, which AVERAGE AVERAGE been proven to help participants lose THE PROGRAMME took place online this year due to WEIGHT WAIST weight, get healthier, fitter and happier. IS OPEN TO: Covid-19, was a huge success reaching LOSS 3.82KG LOSS 6.9CM Long term research also shows that Men and women aged 35-65 8.4 million people, with 1,300 schools participants who lose weight tend to keep Waist size of 38 inches OR belly size involved and 250,000 families taking it off after five years. at least 40 inches part across the UK. MEN Free 12 week programme THE MAIN AIMS ARE TO: for men & women Increase knowledge of diet & 347 65.13%* nutrition PARTICIPANTS RETENTION Takes place at local SPFL clubs Improve lifestyle choices 131 Increase physical activity amongst programmes delivered TOTAL TOTAL participants WEIGHT WAIST Delivered by a trained 1903.61CM Reduce weight and waist LOSS 1204.25KG LOSS club coach 32,400 measurements hours of activity and education Increase engagement in other AVERAGE AVERAGE Sessions combine healthy living physical activity WEIGHT WAIST advice and light exercise 3,750 LOSS 5.33KG LOSS 8.42CM children reached annually IN NUMBERS IN *This year's statistics show a lower retention rate, Meet our heroes 67 but this reflects that several FFIT intakes did not watch our FFIT stories at schools participated complete the programme due to Covid-19. spfltrust.org.uk/ffit 4 5 4 Health 2019-20 Annual Report 5 HEALTH

Mental Health First Aid Training

We delivered nine Mental Health First Aid Training courses to 136 participants from 88 different football organisations from 4-4-2 Reading July 2019 to March 2020. This included an on the road session atHibernian FC. Challenge The free two-day courses are run in partnership with NHS Scotland, Positive organisations took The 4-4-2 Reading Challenge project Mental Health Scotland, and the Chris part in courses saw an increase in children engaged, and Mitchell Foundation which funds the project. 88 challenges completed despite the impact of Covid-19. They aim to equip staff and volunteers with the skills to provide initial support, to participants Despite the issues associated with 18,546 84 prevent problems from getting worse, and took part the pandemic and the early end of the Pupils participated Schools involved to provide tools for giving comfort. 136 project for this academic year in March 2020, more children (+60%) took part in This enables course participants to talk courses delivered the challenge. This converted to a 38% about suicide, recognise the signs of increase in the number of books read. mental health problems, and ensure between July to March they can provide initial support, before 9 Whilst some of the other metrics used to determine the success are slightly down 204 20 signposting appropriate help. Libraries involved Mobile libraries on a comparative basis, the trend of involved activity suggests that – across the board – the project would have shown growth by The Changing Room all measures had the participation period been the same as 2018. secures three year funding In 2019-20 we were delighted to secure 3,516 217 a grant from Bòrd na Gàidhlig to enable Books issued New library the challenge to be accessible in Gàidhlig. members We were delighted that The Changing Room, created by SAMH This comes at a time when there are an in partnership with the SPFL Trust, was awarded game changing increasing number of schools providing funding during this year. Gaelic Medium Education (GME) across Scotland. First established in 2017, our incentive- based programme inspires children of primary school age to read four books at their local library. In return they earn two tickets to a participating SPFL club, free for themselves, and discounted for an adult.

6 7 6 Health & Attainment 2019-20 Annual Report 7 Football for all Festive Friends During 2019-20, ten SPFL clubs Mum Karen supported our Football for All projects Cumming also Christmas can be a lonely time for with Family Fund. went along with many elderly and socially isolated people. her dad. She said: Family Fund is the UK’s largest charity We worked with 37 clubs to help them providing grants for families raising disabled provide a special day filled with festive cheer or seriously ill children and young people. for socially isolated older people. “It was a very special day It helps people like nine-year-old James Kerr. which allowed four generations of And for the first time we even held our own our family to go to the match together event at for participants James has Global Development Delay and we will all remember it. in the stadium’s Football Memories which means that it’s taken him longer programme, supported by Sodexo. to reach milestones in his development This may be one of the last games my such as walking and he can only say a granda attends and it was my son’s Festive Friends is an incredibly simple few words. He got to attend his first ever first - that’s not something that will concept: a hearty Christmas lunch, the Our CEO Nicky helps deliver lunch at happen again. Hibernian’s Festive Friends event at Inverness Caledonian Thistle match, with ” means to get there, friendship, fun and his great grandad, 90-year-old Alexander a little gift. Cumming. The programme has grown significantly in recent years. In particular several clubs have been able to obtain additional funding or in-kind support to expand the programme enabling more people to be part of it. 6 A-Team gives access to everyone Meet Peggy clubs open on Christmas Day - two more than last year The project has been co-funded by Peggy Kyle (82) attended Football Club’s We were proud to launch a new Variety Scotland, the children’s charity, Festive Friends lunch at Gayfield Park and being programme, A-Team, in March to make with support from the SPFL and Corra there brought back a lot of childhood memories. football more accessible to supporters 37 who have autism. Foundation. Peggy said: “We used to come down and help sell clubs participated All SPFL clubs are now able to loan a new Our unit was used for the first time just the programmes every match day and they cost mobile sensory unit so they can welcome days before the Covid-19 lockdown. approximately 3d (old pennies each). We loved supporters with autism or other sensory the busyness and excitement and everyone loved 1,473 Five families and seven children difficulties into a safe environment. their local team.” participants in Festive experienced the unit at Hearts v Friends this year Once set up the room has interactive Motherwell, with the club’s Disability bubble columns, multi-coloured fibre Awareness Day providing an ideal platform optic cables, solar projector, sound and to launch the new project. One family had +42% light panel, fibre optic carpet, glitter ball, never attended a football match before. Up 433 year on year and an aroma unit. Staff at clubs also receive Autism Awareness Training, delivered by the 99 National Autistic Society, before they Age of oldest participant welcome families. Training has been delivered to 11 clubs so far. 8 9 8 Inclusion 2019-20 Annual Report 9 Off The Bench Building Capacity We were pleased to reveal a three year funding settlement from the Scottish Government’s Cashback for Communities We aim to create long-lasting links fund to launch Off the Bench. between football clubs and local organisations to help meet the Scottish A new 16-week programme, it will support Government’s objectives of improving young people aged 18-24 who have been, people’s mental and physical health and or are at risk of becoming involved in wellbeing. crime. The programme is due to launch at Heart of Midlothian, Dundee, Falkirk, One unusual partnership forged this year Motherwell and St Mirren in January 2021. was between a breastfeeding support Trusted to Support group ‘Breast Buddies’ and Brechin City There will be a strong focus on delivering FC and the new mums started meeting at certificate-based courses, enabling young Impact of Covid-19 Thank you the club every week (before Covid-19). people to build a better path, going forward. We launched our ‘Trusted to Support’ A huge thank you to our funders In the male dominated arena of football and partners for their support during For example, participants will complete campaign in March this year to this wasn’t the most obvious partnership 2019-20. their Scottish FA Level 1.1 coaching badge, highlight the activity of clubs during the but the club quickly realised the benefits SportsLeader Award, and SQA Workplace Covid-19 crisis. of opening their doors to this group. Core Skills – Employability: First Steps As we found ourselves in unprecedented SCQF Level 4 course and the Approach They saw that it widens the club’s circumstances this year we felt it was Saltire Award. audience to women, their families and vital to let people know about the friends, and introduces new, albeit very There will be an additional opportunity support and resources that are available young, potential supporters! It may also to join the Scottish FA’s Volunteer Inspire at their local club. lead to other activities being set up such Programme. as mini kickers for toddlers. The initiatives that range over a variety On completion of the programme and of areas including; mental health, fitness The club now regularly spoils the mums with suitable behaviour, participants will and education, to name a few, are vital to with much needed cakes and biscuits also be offered the chance to volunteer for us all as individuals and a community at when they visit! ‘their’ club. this time. We were also delighted to welcome our We kept people informed of the new Project Officer, Mandy Choi who will activities at various clubs through the manage this transformational programme SPFL website and later this year we will of activity. produce an Impact Report on the work that’s been carried out by ATCs.

10 City Brechin Glebe Park, Pictured: 11 10 InclusionHealthCapacity Building & Capacity Building 2019-20 Annual Report 11 Scottish Professional Football League Trust Hampden Park, Glasgow, G42 9DE 0141 620 4162 | [email protected]

spfltrust.org.uk

Registered Charity No. SC041121 Cover picture: Festive Friends fun at Falkirk FC 1212 Health 2019-20 Annual Report PBPB