Community Catch Up: August
Welcome to Sheffield United Community Foundation’s monthly review!
Find out what’s been happening at the Foundation and what we’ve got coming up!
David Bly Unveiled as New Community Foundation COO
We’re delighted to welcome David Bly as the new Chief Operating Officer of Sheffield United Community Foundation!
David brings a wealth of experience and passion for community impact, and we’re excited to have him on board as we continue to strengthen our programmes and broaden our reach. Welcome, David!
David said: “Having worked with the Foundation for over 15 years, I am delighted to be part of an organisation that puts the communities and participants at the heart of their service. I look forward to being part of this exciting time as we plan our next strategy while connecting with all of our close partners and stakeholders to continue the great breadth of work.”
Foundation Becomes Club Partner
Sheffield United Community Foundation is delighted to be confirmed as an official Sheffield United club partner for the 2025/26 campaign.
While the Foundation and the club have enjoyed a longstanding and successful relationship, this marks the first season where the Foundation will feature as a formal club partner – a step that further strengthens the bond between the two.
Chris Bailey, Chief Executive Officer of Sheffield United Community Foundation, said: “I’m proud to highlight the powerful and ongoing collaboration between the Foundation and Sheffield United Football Club. Our shared commitment to the people of Sheffield continues to drive meaningful change across the city. By working closely with the club, we are able to amplify our impact, supporting health and wellbeing, education, inclusion, and opportunity for individuals of all ages and backgrounds. This collaboration is more than just symbolic; it is a dynamic force for good, rooted in our common values and united vision for a stronger, more connected community.”
Parkwood Students Lead Sustainability with Nature Based Blades
The Foundation’s Nature Based Blades programme has been engaging with schools across Sheffield to educate students on the importance of environmental sustainability. Funded by the PL PFA, the programme aims to boost both understanding and positive behaviours around climate action within local communities. Participants take part in workshops, earn accredited qualifications, and ultimately get the opportunity to deliver their own Nature Based Solution within their school or community.
Recently, we have been running these sustainability sessions at Parkwood School. For their social action project, the students decided to repurpose flowers, after pollination, into decorative flower crowns.
Flora Medford, Sustainability Officer said: “The girls’ group at Parkwood were really invested in the project and how a flower garden can help pollinators, so we took that passion and decided to make considerable growth in the school’s garden. One of the girls, Salima, was really interested in the project. Salima was always asking questions, doing her own research, leading discussions – she got a lot out of it and effectively became the leader of the group. The project was really therapeutic for the girls too, with many saying how relaxing and beneficial it was to their mental health, which was really nice, so it’s definitely something we’ll revisit in the future.”
Community College Welcomes New Students!
It was a busy week last week at Sheffield United Community College as we welcomed our new students! The new cohorts took part in induction sessions and showed off their skills at Yard Ball too.
We were thrilled to announce that the 25/26 cohort will also be our biggest ever, as this year we’ll have 300 students across our sites (Bramall Lane, Handsworth JSC, Leisure United Graves & Leisure United Westfield).
Ryan Collins, Head of Education and Training said: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome 300 students for the very first time across our Sport, Esport, and Higher Education provision. This milestone represents a huge achievement for the college and is a real testament to the dedication and hard work of our staff and partners. Today marks an exciting new chapter, and we can’t wait to open our doors and support every student as they begin their journey with us.”
We’d like to extend a massive thank you to everyone who attended our Kellogg’s Holiday Camps this summer!
We had a fantastic time and it was great to see so many new faces, across each of our five sites, getting involved in some really fun football sessions.
See you October half-term!
Join the Blades Super Draw Lotto!
Be in with a chance of winning the top prize of £2,000! Players can also win 2 prizes of £250 and 10 prizes of £50 as well.
Playing the Super Draw Lotto costs just £1 a week. Not only will you be in with a chance of winning these fantastic cash prizes, but you’ll also be helping us raise vital funds to support good causes in the local community.
Sign up here.
⚔️ Thanks to Travelling Blade for his spotlight on the Foundation!
⚔️ Our very own Bella recently joined nearly 200 girls at the Premier League Kicks Cup! Read more from Bella as she spoke to the Premier League about women’s football too.
⚔️ The Foundation and Rainbow Blades recently featured at the ‘world’s biggest podcasting party’ to discuss a range of pressing topics – from tackling discrimination to the impact of collaborative working to achieve inclusion. Read here.
⚔️ Triple success for our Youth Hub! Congratulations to Eclair, Zander & Nazdar, who have all secured roles with TK Maxx after completing a training programme with us. Read more here.
⚔️ Throwback to last month’s annual awards evening for our Sheffield United Community College students!
⚔️ Check out the latest edition of the Green Team Newsletter! Explore how Sheffield United Community Foundation is championing sustainability – from wildflower planting and green space regeneration to climate action and eco-friendly fan initiatives.