Tag: Community

SSE Airtricity announces €5 million Generation Green Community Fund

SSE Airtricity has launched a €5 million all-island Community Fund with the aim of delivering meaningful community benefits across the island of Ireland. The company plans to undertake a ten week consultation process, which opens today, and which will continue until 26 July, inviting views from communities, individuals and organisations from towns, villages, inner cities, and rural heartlands, to advise how the fund could best support green initiatives throughout our communities.
The SSE Airtricity Generation Green Community fund is part of SSE Airtricity’s commitment to customers and the communities it serves by supporting them on the path to net zero through education, awareness raising, as well as grant funding and energy efficiency supports. The fund aims to support communities in reaching net zero by delivering a positive and lasting social impact.
Heather Humphreys T.D., Minister for Social Protection and Minister for Rural and Community Development said: “I am delighted that SSE Airtricity has officially launched its €5 million Green Generation Community Fund. This is a transformative level of funding that will make a real and lasting difference in rural and urban communities. It’s pleasing to see SSE Airtricity acknowledge the integral role that local communities the length and breadth of Ireland will play in the transition to Net Zero through the launch of its community fund and consultation process today.
“This new fund will support local communities across Ireland with biodiversity, education, and decarbonisation projects, along with enhancing services and amenities in rural and urban areas.
I would encourage local communities and organisations to positively engage with SSE Airtricity and its Green Generation Community Fund during the consultation phase.”
Klair Neenan, Managing Director of SSE Airtricity, said: “Getting to net zero is in everyone’s interest and local communities will be at the heart of the energy transition. We know there are passionate people and groups working hard across Ireland and we want to help them make a positive difference by powering up their sustainability plans. But funding can often be an issue. That’s why we’re delighted to launch our unique Generation Green Community Fund.
“We know issues like biodiversity, education and decarbonisation are big priorities but to ensure the funding makes the biggest difference we want to hear from local communities directly.  That’s why we’re launching this initial consultation, and we look forward to hearing from communities and individuals, to inform how the fund should be used.”
As part of the consultation process, SSE Airtricity is inviting local communities and individuals to shape what the priorities for the fund should be. This will ensure the fund focuses on what is most important to communities. Examples of priorities may include green energy upgrades for community buildings, community biodiversity projects or green skills workshops and education.
The SSE Airtricity Generation Green Community Fund will be administered in line with a number of UN Sustainable Development Goals, aligning with SSE Airtricity’s core sustainability priorities around community, biodiversity, education and decarbonisation.
The company has a long-standing commitment of supporting its customers and community groups. In response to the global energy crisis in 2022 and 2023, SSE Airtricity established a €25 million customer support fund to help its customers deal with the impacts of inflation.
The SSE Airtricity Generation Green Community Fund will be open to application later this year, following the initial consultation period.
To submit your views to the consultation or for more information, please visit: www.sseairtricity.com/communityfund

Salesforce Tower Dublin ‘Ohana Floors Open To The Community

Salesforce Tower Dublin hosted Irish nonprofits, education groups, and foundations to mark the one-year anniversary of its official opening. Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Daithí de Róiste and as well as Carolan Lennon, Salesforce Ireland Country Leader were in attendance and led the celebration.

The ‘Ohana Floors in Dublin form part of a global initiative offering event spaces at the top of Salesforce towers to nonprofits and foundations aligned with the company’s culture of giving back. To date, events on our global ‘Ohana Floors have raised over $111 million for non-profit organisations. Community members can submit a request to use the space for free to host charitable fundraisers, receptions, and special events that have a focus on humanitarian, social, educational, or environmental causes.

Located on the 7th and 8th floors of Salesforce Tower Dublin, the ‘Ohana floors are a flexible, open space used during the day by Salesforce employees, customers and partners to collaborate and connect with each other. Guests can enjoy the barista bar, chef’s table, and stunning views of Dublin’s River Liffey and skyline.

“Salesforce has been contributing to the innovation, economic growth and social impact in Dublin for many years,” said Lord Mayor of Dublin, Councillor Daithí de Róiste. “The ‘Ohana Floor in Salesforce Tower and what it offers is another example of how the company continues to invest in the community. We’re delighted to have this beautiful space available to our city.”

“We believe that business can be the greatest platform for change and our impact goes further with collective action. Salesforce Dublin Tower is a beautiful space designed to foster collaboration, innovation, and giving back to the community,” said Carolan Lennon, Salesforce Ireland Country Leader. “The ‘Ohana Floors are designed to welcome local charities and organisations to use the space and we support them to use this resource to its fullest potential, further strengthening our community connection.”

One of the first organisations to use the facilities included Special Olympics Ireland. The tower hosted a reunion for volunteers who travelled to Berlin in June 2023 to offer their time in support of Team Ireland’s journey to the Special Olympics World Summer Games. The event focused on recognising and celebrating these volunteers who gave up their time to support Team Ireland.

“The ‘Ohana Floor facilities offered at Salesforce Tower Dublin provide a wonderful space for community and collaboration,” said Matt English, CEO of Special Olympics Ireland. “Volunteers play such a vital role in Special Olympics and we’re proud we had the opportunity to be one of the first organisations to host an event here to celebrate those individuals.”

Giving back has been part of the DNA of Salesforce since the company was founded 25 years ago. Since opening in Ireland in 2001 Irish employees have volunteered over 325,000 hours, and last week hosted the company’s largest ever Volunteering Time Off (VTO) activity, bringing over 1,100 employees together to walk, run, cycle or hike to raise money for local charities Breakthrough Cancer Research, Special Olympics Ireland, and Difference Days.

Servecentric supports “Orchards in the Community” to plant over 3,500 orchards across Ireland

To help protect bees, increase pollination and support bio-diversity, Servecentric is delighted to participate in Host in Ireland’s “Orchards in the Community” initiative. Servecentric is part of 73 pledging companies that have contributed to the planting of over 3587 mixed fruit orchards across the Island of Ireland. As part of the programme, 222 schools and colleges and 171 community groups from tidy towns, retirement homes, community centres, and local sports facilities have received and planted orchards in their communities.

Orchards provide vital green spaces in our cities and towns and with 33% of our 99 wild bee species at risk of extinction, these orchards provide bees with food as they struggle when emerging from winter.

Servecentric’s support is resulting in the planting of 10 orchards in the grounds of St. Finian’s National School, Clonard, Co. Meath.

“Orchards are a focal point for communities to connect people with nature. Growing orchards in the community helps raise awareness of our connection to our food sources and play an important role in biodiversity and the plight of bees in Ireland,” said Garry Connolly, founder, Host in Ireland. “That spirit of community is alive and well with ‘Orchards in the Community’ as organisations like Servecentric come together with biodiversity groups, schools, colleges, Tidy Towns and others across Ireland to tackle challenges like biodiversity loss to save Ireland’s pollinators.”

“It is important for us to support this creative initiative led by Host In Ireland. We all have a role to play in preserving our falling native Bee, Butterfly and other pollinator populations and we’re delighted to work with local communities in the campaign to reverse this trend.” added Brian Roe, CEO, Servecentric Ltd.

Spencer Dock Transforms for Culture Night as Local Community, HubSpot, and A Playful City Celebrate a Year of Creativity and Trust Building

Through a series of hugely successful projects and workshops, A Playful City has been collaborating with young people from SWAN Youth Service living in Dublin’s North East City to transform their community by constructing pop-up spaces for them to socialise, interact and play with their peers in an exciting project funded by HubSpot.

Culture Night 2023, taking place on September 22, is the perfect opportunity to showcase how A Playful City through its collaboration with local partners including SWAN Youth Service, HubSpot and Dublin City Council, and especially the local youth community who have activated public spaces in hugely positive ways that are often overlooked.

On Spencer Dock on Culture Night, the young entrepreneurs, artists and chefs will be serving up a night of fun and culture for all the community. Rosemary, basil and rocket lettuce, all grown in nearby Mud Island Community Garden, will be harvested and used to embellish the pizzas cooked up on site for Culture Night. Poems that have been composed in workshops with award-winning performers such as FeliSpeaks will be exhibited in the public arena and an illustrator will top the night off with live drawing throughout the night.

Through vision, imagination and mentorship from HubSpotters, and with funding from key partners, A Playful City, a locally-based not-for-profit is helping to activate public spaces for the common good and giving a much needed outlet to young people in the local community.

“Culture Night 2023 is such a fitting way for all the community in the North East Inner City to come together and celebrate the many constructive and creative ways they’ve worked to help improve public spaces in their local environment,” said Neasa Ni Bhriain, Creative Director of A Playful City.

“Public spaces are so important in unlocking the talent and imagination of our young people,” Ni Bhriain said, adding that it was important we celebrate and champion what’s been achieved in the past year.

One of the stars on Culture Night will be the specially designed Enterprise Mobile, which will be utilised by local young people in conjunction with A Playful City. The nifty mobile unit, designed with sustainability in mind and managed by the young people from the community, can be turned into a pop-up stall and used for a variety of events such as showcasing their entrepreneurial endeavours. As well as being central to Culture Night, it will be used by young people in the North East Inner City for many years to come.

Working closely with HubSpot, based on Spencer Dock, A Playful City has coordinated a series of “Mentor Moments” in which HubSpotters from around the globe have provided valuable insights and shared ideas with the young people in a collaborative and creative way.

“It’s been hugely rewarding to meet and collaborate with the young people from our community,” said Eimear Marrinan, VP of Culture and ESG at HubSpot. “They’ve been as eager to learn as we have been to share our knowledge around entrepreneurship and skill development. We are really looking forward to coming together and celebrating their talents with the community we work and live in on Culture Night.”

Commenting on the positive results that come from when young people are entrusted with public spaces, Eibhlín Harrington, a project leader from SWAN Youth Service, said, “So often we hear negative stories about young people and public spaces, when in fact, here in the North East Inner City, they have accomplished so much, provided they are entrusted with spaces in their neighbourhood, and that we all work together as a community to foster trust, respect, and creativity.

“There is an incredible amount of talent, drive and creativity amongst the young people in the NEIC and Culture Night on Spencer Dock is the ideal opportunity to showcase this to the community and reimagine what is possible in our public spaces,” she added.

SSE Renewables donates €1.1 million to almost 400 Irish community groups

SSE Renewables, Ireland’s leading developer, owner, and operator of renewable energy has donated over €1 million to almost 400 local charities and community groups across Ireland in the last year, once again demonstrating the company’s ongoing commitment to supporting the economic and social wellbeing of those local communities which host its wind farms. 

The contribution is revealed in SSE Renewables’ 2022/23 Community Investment Review for Ireland, which has been published today. 

In total SSE Renewables has invested €1.1 million this year from its wind farms into 382 community-based projects across the country. The funding generated for the SSE Renewables Community Fund comes from revenues earned by its wind farms across Ireland, including the Galway Wind Park Community Fund, which is Ireland’s largest community benefit fund. This year’s €1.1 million investment contribution is one of the largest-ever annual investments made by SSE Renewables into local communities from its wind farms. 

SSE Renewables’ funding helps support local groups, sports organisations and schools among others in rural Irish communities to develop their facilities with energy efficiency and sustainability upgrades as well as social and environmental projects that enable community development. 

The SSE Renewables’ 2022/23 Community Investment Review marks 20 years of wind powered funding by the company into Irish communities. Since it first launched its Community Fund programme in 2003, SSE Renewables has invested over €11.4 million into almost 4,500 community-based projects located closest to its wind farms. This funding is awarded to community groups near wind farms located in Cork, Cavan, Donegal, Wexford, Monaghan, Sligo, Limerick, Kerry, Tipperary and Galway. 

Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director of SSE Renewables said: “With the climate emergency and energy security at the top of the agenda, we’re proud at SSE Renewables to be playing our part in helping Ireland’s transition to renewable power. In the last year we’ve continued to produce huge amounts from our onshore wind farms across Ireland, while progressing the next wave of industry leading projects, both onshore and offshore. 

“We recognise that an integral part of a just transition is sharing value with the local communities in which we operate. We’re committed to investing to ensure Irish communities have what they need now and for the future. That’s why in the last year SSE Renewables has donated over €1 million to local projects to invest in issues as diverse as inclusive sport to biodiversity centres. In doing so, we’re aligned to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, ensuring the investments we make into local communities help deliver affordable and clean energy, take climate action to reduce emissions, and support the creation of sustainable cities and communities. 

“As we build more renewable assets across Ireland, we’re ensuring the country benefits from local, clean, resilient energy with a commitment to local supply chains to boost our economy. As part of this commitment, we’ll collaborate with communities to help them achieve their ambitions and support thriving, robust and prosperous communities across Ireland.” 

In addition to providing funding support to local groups and organisations, this year’s Community Investment Review details the education funding support SSE Renewables is providing to young people from its ongoing scholarship programme. In the last year, the Galway Wind Park Scholarship Fund has provided just over €50,000 in scholarships for 16 young students who live near Ireland’s largest wind farm and wish to attend their third level college courses of choice. This brings the total number of young scholars supported financially by the Galway Wind Park Scholarship since it was launched in 2019 to just over 80. 

Alongside funding contributions across local communities, 2022/23 has been a year of growth and development for SSE Renewables’ Community Funds. In County Donegal the company worked with development partner FuturEnergy Ireland to undertake an extensive community consultation with local representatives and community members in the design and key priorities of a new community fund for the Lenalea Wind Farm, which is due to open next year. 

This year also saw a significant increase in applications from communities across Ireland looking for measures and projects designed to support the delivery of low carbon infrastructure in rural areas, and so support a greener future and tackle the climate emergency. 

In County Galway, €110,000 was presented to Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán from Galway Wind Park to establish the Low Carbon and Sustainability Centre of Excellence in Casla. The centre is creating new sustainable economic opportunities to support the economic, social, and environmental sustainability of the region by supporting the re-skilling of workers and supporting homeowners to complete retrofit improvements. The centre is providing skills training in emerging retrofit technologies including solar PV, external wall insulation and ventilation. The project plans to train 280 professionals per annum and support the energy improvement of up to 10,000 local homes. 

Patrick McHugh, Director of Comhairle Ceantar na nOileán, said: “In Galway, the waiting list for energy efficient home upgrades is nearly two years. Through the development of this training centre in Galway, timeframes for upgrades will be reduced with the project having the potential to impact over 30,000 individuals and in excess of 10,000 homes, so contributing towards Ireland’s net zero goal.” 

In the community of Bunnoe, County Cavan, where the next nearest publicly available electric vehicle (EV) charging point is over 10km away, SSE Renewables’ funding totalling €2,500 has supported the installation of a first-ever EV charger at the Bunnoe Community Enterprise Centre. Visitors to the community centre, GAA club and football club can now charge their electric vehicles while visiting the local amenities. 

Patsy Fitzpatrick, Volunteer at Bunnoe Community Enterprise Centre, said: “In a rural area like Bunnoe, people have to travel at least 10km to access an EV charging point. The provision of this charger has improved efficiency and reduced cost for our locals, it has attracted people to the area to avail of the charger and use other resources whilst waiting, and most importantly it demonstrates our commitment and support towards achieving net zero.” 

SSE Renewables will continue to support Ireland’s green recovery and it hopes to continue the same level of successful support to communities in the coming year. In the coming year it will continue public consultation on the design and priorities for a community fund for Yellow River Wind Farm in Rhode, County Offaly, which it is currently constructing. 

In the offshore wind energy space, SSE Renewables is continuing to develop plans for Ireland’s 2030 offshore targets, including delivery of its flagship Irish offshore wind project, the 800MW Arklow Bank Wind Park II which is expected to generate a community benefit fund of around €6m annually should it become operational before the end of the decade. 

You can read the SSE Renewables 2022/23 Community Investment Review here.

Airfield Estate Launches Sustainable Community Garden With €50,000 Donation From Toast.org

Toast, the digital technology platform built for restaurants, today announced the Toast.org Community Garden in partnership with Airfield Estate in Dundrum, South Dublin. Toast recently launched in Ireland, and its philanthropic branch, Toast.org, will donate €50,000 to fund the creation of the garden.

Known as Dublin’s only working farm, Airfield Estate is creating the community garden to produce sustainable fruit and vegetables while also offering opportunities for people to learn about environmentally-friendly food production, empowering them to make more informed food choices.

The Toast.org Community Garden at Airfield Estate will be a resource centre for education on nutrition, food sovereignty, seed saving, biodiversity, conservation, and resource management, supporting Toast.org’s mission to enrich the food experience for all.

The community garden will also support Airfield Estate’s ambition to be Dublin’s sustainable food hub and help bring Dublin on its journey to be known as a world-leading sustainable food city.

As a part of Toast.org’s support, the garden will employ a Community Garden Coordinator and Craft Gardener. The grounds will be accessible to everyone, from the local community and vulnerable groups to corporate employees, and the space will host horticulture talks and workshops on various topics.

Toast established its European presence in 2017 with the opening of its first Dublin office, an R&D Centre of Excellence. Toast has since added functions in Ireland including sales, marketing, and customer support and earlier this year, made its technology available for restaurants across the country.

“The Toast.org Community Garden at Airfield Estate will be a fantastic addition to the estate and will support our ambition to become Dublin’s leading sustainable food hub,” said Claire Mac Evilly, CEO of Airfield Estate. “The team at Toast.org mirrors our commitment to improve access to sustainable food for people in Dublin, while having a positive impact on our environment. We know that there are not enough community gardens in Ireland when compared to our European neighbours. This is a really positive example of social impact where businesses and charities like ourselves can come together and give people the opportunity to grow food.”

“At Toast.org, we’re passionate about supporting organisations that positively impact the communities we serve, and Airfield Estate is leading the way in sustainability and the environment,” added Robert McGarry, SVP of Engineering & Head of Toast’s Dublin Office. “We are impressed by Airfield Estate’s many programmes and initiatives that promote the environment while providing more informed food choices for people in Dublin and the surrounding area. We’re excited to mark the next step in our partnership with Airfield Estate with this donation and look forward to working with the charity to develop the community garden.”

Toast.org brings the strength of Toast’s people, products, and philanthropy to further the company’s purpose to enrich the food experience for all and create a healthier, more sustainable, and equitable world.

The partnership between Toast.org and Airfield Estate began in 2021 when some of Toast’s Dublin-based employees volunteered with the charity. The launch of the community garden is one of several ways Toast.org will support Airfield Estate throughout 2023.

More information on Toast.org is available on its website.

Kaseya raises funds for Dublin Simon Community

Kaseya, the global leader in IT and cybersecurity infrastructure management software for small-to-medium businesses (SMBs) launched their ‘Cooper Cares’ initiative last year which is dedicated to assisting the communities that Kaseya serves with a primary focus on charitable organisations for children, veterans and animals.

As part of this initiative, Kaseya is partnering with Dublin Simon Community for Kaseya DattoCon Europe 2023 which will be held next week in Dublin.

Dublin Simon Community works to prevent and address homelessness in Dublin, Kildare, Wicklow, Meath, Louth, Cavan and Monaghan. They provide services at all stages of homelessness and enable people to move to a place they can call home. Kaseya will be collecting funds and supplies to lend their support to this charity which has already raised over €6,500. You can donate here.

Lucan Community College takes part in ‘STEM Passport for Inclusion Programme’ designed to unlock new career pathways in STEM

Students from Lucan Community College recently took part in the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme, a unique STEM education and mentoring initiative that aims to provide 5,000 young women from underserved communities with equal opportunities to access STEM education and unlock new career pathways in the digital economy.

Transition year students from Lucan Community College travelled to Microsoft’s campus in Leopardstown in recent weeks for an accelerated version of the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme delivered by the Microsoft Dream Space team.

The STEM Passport for Inclusion programme, developed by Maynooth University in collaboration with Microsoft Ireland, was created to help break down barriers and increase the number of girls from underserved communities entering STEM related careers. A study by Maynooth University indicates that 16% of female pupils from socially disadvantaged areas were not studying a science subject at Higher Level Leaving Certificate.

Microsoft’s Dream Space team has played an instrumental role in the co-design and delivery of the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme. As part of this, the team worked with participating universities to co-develop the Level 6 (NFQ) accredited module, which participating students can complete, equipping them with the knowledge, experience, and additional matriculation support (including extra CAO points) to help them follow a pathway to a third level STEM degree.

Established in 2021, the programme has engaged over 1,250 students to date from schools right across the country. Over the next three years, Microsoft and Maynooth University are ambitious about the reach of the initiative and hope to engage up to 5,000 TY students, with Science Foundation Ireland and the Department of Education providing €600k in funding through the Discover programme and Microsoft a further €600k.

As part of the initiative, Lucan Community College students engaged in three sessions at Microsoft Dream Space and had the opportunity to learn subjects such as coding, engineering and mathematics. In addition, the students participated in the mentoring part of the programme meeting women working across all areas of STEM to learn more about their careers and what their jobs involved. The mentoring element is supported by a number of industry partners including Microsoft, Accenture, RDI Hub, Prodigy Learning, Munster Technological University, Teen Turn and Mercy Inchicore.

Speaking about the students’ experience, Audrey Byrne, Teacher at Lucan Community College, said: “We were delighted to have the opportunity for our students to take part in the STEM Passport for Inclusion programme. It is a really engaging and interactive programme which inspired many of the girls that took part. Students really enjoyed visiting Microsoft Dream Space and the company’s building in Leopardstown where they met with women who work in STEM and see first-hand the doors that can be unlocked by considering a course and career in technology. I’d encourage schools across Dublin to take part so that every student has the opportunity to engage in STEM learning.” 

Chloe Bonete, Lucan Community College student and STEM Passport for Inclusion participant, said: “It was an amazing opportunity that I’m glad we could all partake in. Everyone was very welcoming, and we all came out of the experience confident with what we had learned.”

James O’Connor, Microsoft Ireland Site Lead and Vice President of Microsoft Global Operations Service Center said: “At Microsoft, we’re deeply committed to helping young people to engage in STEM learning and shift their perceptions about the role technology can play in their future career choices. As the STEM Passport for Inclusion’s lead industry partner, Microsoft Ireland wants to help create new pathways for girls in STEM so that students from Lucan Community College and other schools across the country can play an active role in shaping our digital world.

“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the students from Lucan Community College who took part in the programme and who will be graduating in the autumn. Through our Microsoft Dream Space team and our network of mentors, we look forward to expanding the programme and working with Maynooth University to empower 5,000 Transition Year girls from underserved communities to gain a Level 6 STEM qualification.”

Katriona O’Sullivan, Principal Investigator of the STEM Passport for Inclusion and Senior Lecturer at Maynooth University’s Assisting Living and Learning Institute said: “Congratulations to all the girls at Lucan Community College who recently completed STEM Passport for Inclusion. The programme aims to ensure that every girl, irrespective of class or condition, will graduate from school with a STEM qualification, having met a woman in STEM who can inspire and support them. Through the support of Microsoft, Science Foundation Ireland, and the Department of Education, we’re aiming to reach out to over 5,000 students in 180 DEIS schools in Dublin and across the country. We will provide these girls with a university experience, an industry mentor and new pathways to college and careers in STEM.”

For more details on STEM Passport for Inclusion Programme go to https://www.maynoothuniversity.ie/all-institute/all-projects/stem-passport-inclusion.

EA SPORTS FC FUTURES – A Plan To Invest $10M Globally To Grow Community Football

Today, Electronic Arts Inc. (NASDAQ: EA) announced FC FUTURES; a plan to meaningfully invest in community-level football on a global scale with the purpose of growing the game for all.

The plan will see investments over the next three years across multiple grassroots football projects. This announcement follows EA SPORTS’s new brand identity, logo and vision reveal for the interactive future of football: EA SPORTS FC.

“EA SPORTS FC is a symbol for a positive future of football, and that future will be built on providing young people with the access and tools necessary to follow their dreams,” said David Jackson, VP of Brand Marketing at EA SPORTS. “We are looking forward to partnering with football organisations and icons across the globe to inspire the next generation of young football fans and grow their love of the game.”

Today was the first of many FC FUTURES activations as EA SPORTS and the Football Foundation, the charity of The Premier League, The FA and UK Government unveiled the ‘Rocky and Wrighty Arena’ at Turnham Academy in South London. Opened by England legend Ian Wright, the pitch will provide additional football access for youth in the area and help inspire the next generation of players.

FC FUTURES will build a publicly-available library of training practices, produced in five languages, that will be available later this year for young players and community coaches to view online and use for their training plans.

Additionally, FC FUTURES will provide community access to football by supporting the creation and refurbishment of pitches, facilitated and distributed through foundations, federations and leagues.

Lastly, FC FUTURES will invest in grassroots training accessories which will deliver football equipment in the form of balls, bibs, cones and wider essential equipment.

EA SPORTS has agreed to a multi-year partnership with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to further support community level football through consultancy from UEFA Grassroots Football Coaches and investment in UEFA Grassroots football initiatives.

“We are excited to partner with EA SPORTS and their EA SPORTS FC FUTURES programme”, said Frank K. Ludolph, Head of Technical Development at UEFA. “Through our team of UEFA technical education experts, we will work hand-in-hand with our long-term partner, EA SPORTS, to enhance our support for the grassroots game. This partnership is an exciting opportunity for UEFA’s Grassroots Programme to provide an innovative access to modern and customised training materials for the benefit of the next generation of grassroots players and fans.”

Ian Wright alongside world-renowned Chelsea Women’s Manager, Emma Hayes are the first FC FUTURES ambassadors who will work with EA SPORTS to provide further support for grassroots football.

“I’m delighted to be an ambassador for EA SPORTS FC FUTURES ” said Ian Wright. “This is where football starts, right here in our communities and investing in the game is a crucial step toward advancing global football. That starts with providing kids access to much-needed facilities in order for them to be able to play as much as possible in safe, local spaces. I’m grateful my old school can play a part in the future of football, and it’s an honour to be involved.”

“Growing up in London, I was always looking for a way to get onto the pitch,” said Emma Hayes. “I’m ecstatic that women and underrepresented talent are getting the resources many of us didn’t. FC FUTURES is a fantastic way to provide opportunities for the next generation of fans to explore and further their passion for football, and it makes me proud to be an FC FUTURES ambassador. I believe that investments like this have the power to change lives.”

EA SPORTS has defined interactive football for 30 years and built a global football community of more than 150 million across multiple platforms – a community that EA SPORTS FC will now continue to grow alongside partners who share a common goal of a fan-first future of football. Built on a foundation of inclusivity and innovation, fans will experience unrivalled authenticity with access to more than 19,000 fully licensed players, 700 teams and 30 leagues, with the support of over 300 global football partners that will allow further expansion into new areas around both women’s and grassroots football.

Fans can sign up at easports.com/fc to Join the Club and be one of the first to learn more, ahead of detailed product updates coming this July.