Aberdeen FC and Community Trust win UEFA Grassroots Award

30 September 2019

Aberdeen FC and Community Trust win UEFA Grassroots Award

EFDN member Aberdeen FC, alongside partner charity Aberdeen FC Community Trust, has been named ‘Best Professional Football Club’ in the prestigious 2019 UEFA Grassroots Awards.

In a collaborative approach working with the Scottish FA, the club has developed a model of best practice nationally with shared goals and resources, in a bid to develop a collective vision of increasing football participation in the region. The result is this recognition from UEFA as the ‘Best Professional Club’ and is testament to the partnership working within our City and region.

The UEFA Best Professional Football Club prize rewards outstanding grassroots work by a professional club, promoting in particular a holistic approach to grassroots football and providing for a wide range of participants.

Engaging with over 20,200 people

Aberdeen FC Community Trust (AFCCT), engages with over 20,200 people across some 227,700 participations in projects focusing on three main themes: football for life, education and healthy communities – stretching across a large geographical area which accounts for around 25% or the entire land mass of Scotland, and approximately 10% of the population.

Steven Sweeney, Community Operations Manager at AFCCT, is proud of the interaction between the club and the Scottish Football Association and its community endeavours; ‘It’s our responsibility as a football club to reach every part of the community. The approach is simple. it’s just about good people trying to do their best to make a difference to grassroots football. Aberdeen FC is a club that cares passionately about people, there is a genuine family feeling and that is why we are determined to share this success and celebrate it together with our supporters, all of our community partners, our City, Region and Scottish football as a whole.’

Projects

Footy Tea

Children from an area of social deprivation are provided with weekly after school football participation and a home ...

Dementia Friendly Communities

Integrating people living with dementia, their families and carers into our main stream wellbeing programmes. Providing buddy support ...