Young people promoting gender equality through the Premier League Inspires Challenge

Young people from Newcastle United Foundation have joined hundreds across England and Wales in this year’s Premier League Inspires Challenge, a nationwide initiative supported by the Premier League and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) that uses football to empower 11–18-year-olds through life skills, mentoring, and social action.

The Challenge is one element of the Premier League Inspires programme, which clubs run on a weekly basis to support 11–18-year-olds who may be at risk of not reaching their potential as they move through the education system and into early adulthood.

This season, young people have been tasked with tackling gender inequality in their communities. Newcastle United Foundation representatives came together to share their project ideas. The winning team from Emmanuel College developed a project to tackle the use of misogynistic language in school.

The team organised an informative question and answer session with Beyond Equality, an organisation encouraging brave conversations about what “being a man” means today. By applying their learning from the workshop, the team felt confident to approach the issue and to create change with their peers.

The group made a presentation during the school’s Friday Review – a livestream to each year group – and arranged for posters to be displayed around school with best practice on how to challenge, report and speak up against misogynistic language.

Dan Stones, Project Officer at Newcastle United Foundation, said: “This year’s Premier League Inspires Challenge has once again encouraged lots of thought-provoking conversations and inspired young people to consider the world around them and the positive impact they can create in their community.

“Through their project tackling misogynistic language, our participants have not only raised awareness in their school community, Emmanuel College are also now incorporating this project into their behaviour policy with an ambition to implement across the entire school trust as best practice.

“We couldn’t be prouder of the hard work and progress our participants have made and to see their confidence grow throughout the process has been rewarding for everyone involved.”

Newcastle United Foundation’s Premier League Inspires Challenge team also explored the positive work Newcastle United is already doing to tackle gender inequality through its United As One campaign, championing equal opportunities for all.

Having received the highest number of votes in their heat, Newcastle United Foundation participants from Emmanuel College joined hundreds of young people at the Premier League Inspires Challenge celebration event at Wembley at the end of April. Here, they represented their project alongside more than 40 other clubs from across the Premier League and English Football League. Former Manchester City Women and Lioness player Izzy Christiansen, as well as representatives from the PFA, were also in attendance to support and celebrate the young people’s achievements.

This Challenge builds upon the Premier League and Premier League Charitable Fund’s commitment to creating opportunities for all in communities across England and Wales.

Premier League Charitable Fund Interim Chief Executive, Alex White, said: “The Premier League Inspires Challenge gives young people the chance to collaborate on projects that create a positive difference in their community, by championing gender equality and promoting inclusive environments.

“Through taking part in the challenge, young people can build their confidence and gain skills in areas such as public speaking, project planning and teamwork.”

Launched in 2019, Premier League Inspires creates life-changing opportunities for young people who may be at risk of not reaching their potential to engage with activities, helping them to develop the personal skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life.

Using the power of football, the programme helps to prepare young people for further education and employment through a series of face-to-face mentoring sessions, workshops and social-action projects.

PFA Senior CSR and EDI Executive, Terry Angus, said: “At the PFA, we believe football has the power to inspire positive change, not just on the pitch, but in our communities. Through Premier League Inspires, young people are developing confidence, leadership and a sense of purpose. It’s fantastic to see our scholars engaging with the programme and working alongside young participants to tackle important issues like gender equality. These experiences stay with them for life and reflect the values we want the game to represent.”

This season, 45 football club charities across the Premier League and English Football League are delivering Premier League Inspires sessions at their stadiums, in local schools and at alternative educational settings, with partnership support from the PFA.

Newcastle United Foundation began its Premier League Inspires delivery in 2019 and since then has supported around 2,200 young people through more than 3,000 sessions in 22 local schools.

More than 30,000 young people from across England and Wales have received more than 130,000 hours of targeted support through the programme to date.

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