Changing Horizons: Life Changing Impact

On Monday 7 November 2022 Brentford FC Community Sports Trust celebrated the launch of our latest Impact Report, Changing Horizons. The report spans April 2020 – March 2022, focusing on some of the most challenging and rewarding times of the Trust’s 35 year history.

As part of the celebrations on the night, first team head coach Thomas Frank joined a guest panel of speakers at the Gtech Community Stadium featuring club representatives and participants from various programmes the Trust delivers. Reflecting on a period of remarkable success for Brentford FC on the pitch, which has been accompanied by the opening of the Trust’s new offices and sports facilities at Gunnersbury Park, Thomas was full of praise for the role the club plays within the west London community.

In the past year alone Brentford FC Community Sports Trust has worked with over 12,000 local people ranging in age from 16 months to over 65. The breadth of activity and number of participants the Trust now reaches across West London is increasing year on year.

Whether it’s Memory Sessions for individuals who are affected by Alzheimer’s or Dementia, or a player at one of our Emerging Talent Centres, the Trust delivers a range of programmes that aim to create life changing impact.

As the Trust has grown so too has the range of sessions we now offer. We proudly work with over 170 local primary and secondary schools, and have supported over 500 adults and children with disabilities through our community projects.

At the core of this are the staff and volunteers who selflessly commit to increasing opportunities for the people of West London.

Lee Doyle, Chief Executive of Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, said, “From a single individual worker in the mid 1980’s to over 100 staff now, plus a large volunteer base we have developed from a solo artist to the size of a philharmonic orchestra.

“The task is to enable our orchestra to play in harmony with our local communities. To this end the Trust aims to change horizons for the thousands of participants of all ages and abilities. The Changing Horizons report aims to explain how we deliver sustainable social outcomes.”

Jon Varney, Brentford FC Chief Executive, added, “It is important for us to engage with our communities and we are so proud of the work of the Trust. Over the years, they have grown, adapted and built partnerships to support and benefit the people of west London. Our values are togetherness, respectful and progressive – the Trust live and breath these values and, with their new facilities, will take their service to the community to an even higher level.”

In the Impact Report you will read stories from various participants such as Shaun Preddie, who now works as a Youth Worker at the Trust. Shaun epitsomises all the work we do. When he realised he was too old to continue attending our Premier League Kicks programme he concluded that he wasn’t ready to end his relationship with Brentford FC.

Fast forward 15 years and Shaun has gone from volunteer, to coach, and role model. He is now a lead mentor at the Trust, supporting some of our most vulnerable young people who are suffering with poor mental health or dealing with trauma. Shaun has also played a pivotal role as a senior youth worker on our flagship project: the Hounslow Youth Service Provision. The scheme, which was commissioned to the Trust by Hounslow Council in 2018, offers holiday youth provision, detached youth work activity and universal youth service activity.

“What I love about this project is that you’re engaging with young people who might not be interested in football and you’re providing them with a safe space to enjoy a range of activities. In the past, we have struggled to engage with girls through our more traditional football sessions. This project has given female youngsters in the borough the scope and space to express themselves.” Shaun Preddie, Youth Worker at Brentford FC Community Sports Trust.

Please click here to read the Changing Horizons report to find out more about the life changing impact the work of the Trust has across west London and beyond.