First Speakers for 12th EFDN Conference Announced
The initial line up of speakers for the 12th EFDN Conference at Stamford Bridge London on the 26th and 27th of March 2019 was announced this last week. The programme will cover best practice in the field of football-related CSR through a variety of presentations, panels, breakout sessions, round-table discussions and study visits providing new insights on innovative programmes, trends and opportunities.
The hosting of the event will again be in the trusted hands of former Chelsea and Scotland great Pat Nevin alongside Caj Sohal and we are pleased to invite Jessica Yavitz, the Vice President of Community Relations at Chicago Fire in the MLS and Executive Director of their Foundation, who will provide a US perspective of CSR in football. Ute Haller Block from Erasmus Plus Sports Division will be presenting on the aims and objectives of the Erasmus Plus programme including the role they see sport in contributing to the Europe 2020 strategy for growth, jobs, social equity and inclusion, as well as the aims of the EU’s strategic framework for education and training. While MatchWornShirt’s Tijmen Zonderwijk will also showcase how its online shirt auction platform can offer funding opportunities to clubs across Europe.
The Breakout Sessions will again cover a variety of current CSR topics across European football including sessions from AEK Athens & PAOK FC jointly holding a session on CSR in Greece, while Gary Hocknull from Hibernian Community Trust and Jamie Duncanson from Rangers Charity Foundation will each discuss their club’s community work in Scotland. From Spanish football, Silvia Montes-Jovellar Folch, National Director of the Fundacion Real Madrid will discuss their ‘They play, we educate’ programme and Galder Reguera from Fundación Athletic Club will cover the topic of connecting culture and football. While, from Germany Henrik Oesau from Werder Bremen will present their experience with Welcome through Football, the programme focusing on the social inclusion of young refugees. We will also see sessions from the Football Association of Ireland and the Premier League will be presenting their good governance and quality assurance strategy.
Chelsea FC will also be holding several practical workshops on their current Chelsea Foundation programmes and EFDN will present on the 2019 #Morethanfootball Action Weeks and the upcoming European Healthy Football League.
See below the full list of confirmed speakers for the 12th Conference, with more to be announced over the next week:
- Alex White – Premier League
- Andrew Gould & Danny Bisland – Scottish Football Association
- Anastasios Papadopoulos & Lazarsos Bachtsevanos – PAOK FC
- Carina O’Brien & Derek O’Neil – Football Association of Ireland
- Galder Reguera & Jon Vazquez-Eguzkisa – Athletic Club Bilbao
- Gary Hocknull – Hibernian FC
- Henrik Oesau – SV Werder Bremen
- Hubert Rovers – European Football for Development Network
- Jamie Duncanson – Rangers FC
- Jessica Yavitz – Chicago Fire
- Jorge Miranda – SL Benfica
- Kathryn Albany-Ward – Colour Blind Awareness
- Peter Gheysen – Club Brugge
- Silvia Montes-Jovellar Folch – Fundación Real Madrid
- Tim Coremans – NAC Breda
- Tijmen Zonderwijk – MatchWornShirt
- Ton Strooband – European Football for Development Network
- Ute Haller-Block – Erasmus Plus Sports Division
Keep an eye out on the Conference website and our social media channels over the coming days and weeks for more details on the individual speakers and the full and final programme.
