Newcastle United Foundation to launch project for fans, supported by the Premier League
Newcastle United Foundation is delivering a fan-focused project with support from the Premier League Fans Fund.
The Premier League Fans Fund provides grants to support football clubs at all levels of the game to strengthen connections between them, their fans, and local communities.
The fund supports a range of fan-focused and fan-led projects, helping to foster a sense of belonging through meaningful engagement. This includes schemes for under-represented groups, to further develop an inclusive and welcoming matchday experience for everyone.
United for Inclusion will use the reach and appeal of Newcastle United to build on the Foundation’s disability provision to offer inclusive physical activity for disabled children, young people and adults. Involving parents and carers, the programme also connects participants with the club through heritage, stadium, matchday and social activities.
Alex Curran, Senior Operations Manager at Newcastle United Foundation, said: "We are proud to launch our United for Inclusion programme and to celebrate, we invited Nick Pope and Mark Gillespie to a pan-disability football session at Wallsend Boys’ Club.
"Their visit was made extra special as the Premier League kindly arranged for the Premier League trophy to be on site – participants were over the moon to see the trophy at their session and to meet two players who they idolise.
“Working together with the club and fan groups like the Newcastle United Disabled Supporters Association (NUDSA), we aim to address barriers to accessible physical activity to improve physical and mental wellbeing for all.”
Open to professional football club charities in the Premier League, English Football League, Women’s Super League 1 and Women’s Super League 2, the Premier League Fans Fund builds on the Premier League and clubs’ commitment to ensuring long-term engagement with supporters.
Following an initial £5million commitment in 2023-2025, the Premier League has committed a further £5million to the fund from 2026-2028. This will be administered through the Premier League Foundation. During the fund’s first phase, more than 100 projects engaged over 18,000 participants through nearly 9,000 sessions.
Premier League Director of Community, Nick Perchard, said: “Fans are at the heart of football, and the strong connection between clubs and their supporters plays a vital role in the success of the game and the communities it serves.
“The Premier League Fans Fund is helping clubs strengthen those relationships by supporting projects that respond to the needs and interests of their fans. Through investment in initiatives at Premier League, EFL and WSL clubs across England and Wales, the Fund will help create more inclusive, engaging and meaningful opportunities for supporters, while delivering lasting benefits in communities and ensuring football remains a positive experience for all.”
In season 2026/27, Premier League funding will support 137 fan-led projects that respond to local need, and which aim to improve the match day environment for fans, addressing a range of themes such as community cohesion; education, underrepresented fan groups and health and well-being.
Delivery is often themed around tackling inequalities to create community cohesion, covering areas like equality, diversity, and inclusion, mental health and wellbeing, physical health and wellbeing, providing education and training opportunities, supporting employability, and sustainability.
Funding is flexible to empower professional football clubs, and their club charities, to develop fan-focused and fan-led projects that respond directly to the needs of their local community.
To find out more about the Premier League Fans Fund, visit www.premierleague.com
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