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To celebrate the Premier League’s More Than A Game campaign this season, we’re exploring the profound impact of Premier League-funded programmes in our community—reaffirming that football is more than just a game.

Premier League Inspires is a personal development programme, developed by the Premier League and professional football clubs, and supported by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).

Launched in 2019, the programme uses the power of football to inspire young people aged 11-to-18-years-old at risk of not reaching their potential, to develop the personal skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life.

Premier League Inspires empowers participants to develop personal, social, employability and life skills through a series of regular face-to-face group sessions, mentoring, workshops and social-action projects, providing pupils with the help they need now and supporting them to plan for their future.

Nottingham Forest Community Trust began its Premier League Inspires delivery midway through the 2022/23 academic year, and since then has supported 1,260 young people through 1,380 sessions engaging with 18 local schools.

This season, 45 professional football club community organisations 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.

One of the programme’s success stories is Daniel, a Year 9 student from Bramcote College, who has been engaged in the programme since the start of the 2023 academic year.

His journey exemplifies the transformative power of Premier League Inspires.

Turning Challenges into Opportunities

Jordan, the Premier League Inspires Coordinator at Nottingham Forest Community Trust, has been working one-to-one with Daniel every Thursday for 40 minutes since the end of Year 8.

When they first began their sessions, Daniel was struggling with his behaviour and attitude in class, finding it difficult to focus and often clashing with teachers.

Now, through consistent support and targeted interventions, Daniel is maintaining his improved behaviour and working towards selecting his GCSE subjects.

“We’ve seen a real improvement in Daniel’s behaviour and attitude,” Jordan explains.

“He’s developed stronger relationships with his teachers, so he doesn’t dread coming into school anymore.

“He’s also shown resilience by handling issues that would previously cause him to spiral.

“Instead of letting things snowball, he talks to me about them, and we work through them together.”

Daniel’s own reflections highlight how pivotal this support has been for him.

“I talk to Jordan about everything, whether it’s about school or things going on at home.

“Jordan also reminds me that just talking. It takes a weight off my shoulders, so I come into school more relaxed and less likely to get into trouble.”

Building Positive Relationships and Coping Strategies

One key area of progress for Daniel has been changing his relationships with teachers.

Previously, his reputation with staff contributed to a negative outlook on school.

Through the programme, Daniel has shifted his focus from behaving just to meet teachers’ expectations to behaving for his own benefit.

“Jordan helped me figure out how to deal with confrontations with teachers,” Daniel shares.

 “I have a time-out card now, which I’ve needed less and less because of the coping techniques I’ve learned. It’s made a big difference.”

While his friend group remains unchanged, Daniel has managed to separate his social life from his academic responsibilities, using strategies discussed with Jordan to stay focused during lessons and limit distractions.

A Brighter Future

Nottingham Forest Community Trust’s delivery of the Premier League Inspires programme continues to pave the way for brighter futures for pupils like Daniel.

By addressing immediate challenges and encouraging long-term planning, Nottingham Forest Community Trust is making a lasting impact on the lives of students across the community.