Community Catch Up: November 2025
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!
Sheffield Youth Awards Success
Sheffield United Community Foundation had an incredible night at the 2025 Sheffield Youth Awards, winning three awards for some impactful youth work!
Our Nature Based Blades group from Bradfield School took home the Social Action Project of the Year Award for their amazing work connecting people with nature, promoting sustainability, and creating positive change in their community.
Flora Medford, Environmental Sustainability Mentor said: “We’re very proud of our Bradfield Nature Based Blades group for winning the Sheffield Youth Award for Social Action Project of the Year. Leading a bioblitz in a local primary school, they got young people excited and informed about the natural world around them. It was incredible to support such a passionate, inspiring group to raise awareness and take action to protect local wildlife. Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees!”
Lucas McCrickard, a Community College student and volunteer with the Sheffield United Inclusive Sports Programme, won the Equality & Diversity Award and Jake Young (pictured) received the prestigious Sue Atkins Rising Star in Youth Work Award.
Rob Jenkinson, Participation Manager said: “Lucas has done fantastic work with us, progressing from participant to coach and he’s recently achieved his FA Introduction to Coaching qualification. He’s broke down barriers and proved that learning difficulties don’t define him. With Jake, his dedication to youth work and the impact he has on young people is truly inspiring, and this recognition is so well deserved.”
Congratulations to our amazing winners, we’re so proud the Foundation is associated with young people leading the way in Sheffield. Well done all!
Bella’s Story: I Have Come So Far Thanks to Premier League Kicks
Discover how one teenager is inspiring the next generation of female footballers at Sheffield United Community Foundation.
For the last 19 years, Premier League Kicks has used football to support young people in some of the most high-need communities in England and Wales, helping them to reach their potential. Bella, from Sheffield United Community Foundation, is one of those young people.
Having joined Kicks as an 11-year-old, Bella has taken full advantage of the opportunities available to her over by progressing from participant to coaching volunteer and role model.
“At the sessions there’s a sense of togetherness and unity,” she says. “No matter where you’re from, who you are, your footballing ability, how shy you are, how confident you are, at Premier League Kicks we’re all the same.”
Bella’s Premier League Kicks journey began five years ago when she was looking for female-only football sessions to play in.
“I used to take part in boys sessions but I didn’t like it,” she says. “The quality was good but there would be comments from the boys and I didn’t really have any friends there. So to have an all-girls session where we could come together and enjoy it, it was superb.”
She threw herself into all things Premier League Kicks and was soon supporting younger girls and helping the coaches deliver sessions.
“I wanted to volunteer because I saw what the staff did and I thought that they’ve done such a great job,” she says. “I was once that kid playing and now I’m able to pass on my knowledge and experiences to younger girls. Having those negative experiences when I was younger makes me even more determined to put girl sessions on and make this a good environment for young girls to take part. To be able to have the opportunity to step into those roles, to be able to become a little girl’s mentor, it’s really empowering.”
Opportunities for girls’ football is a subject close to Bella’s heart, a passion that was reinforced when she and her team represented Sheffield United at this summer’s Premier League Kicks Cup. Learn how you can get involved in Kicks here.
Talk Club Welcomes Lord Mayor
We were honoured to welcome Lord Mayor Safiya Saeed to our weekly Talk Club session as part of our Healthy Families, Healthy Futures programme. Her visit was a powerful opportunity to highlight the meaningful, and often life-changing, work Talk Club does to support men’s mental health in our community.
The conversations were open and insightful, and it was fantastic to have such an influential figure join these discussions. Seeing our work recognised at this level was inspiring, and we’re excited to continue growing a space where men can talk, listen, and support one another – free from judgment.
A heartfelt thank you to Safiya Saeed, her son, and her team for taking the time to see what we do and the impact it has. Your words and insights resonated strongly with the group.
College Achieves CIMSPA 3-Star Quality Mark
Sheffield United Community College has been awarded the prestigious 3-Star ‘Enhancing’ status, the highest level of quality assurance recognition, by the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA).
This achievement demonstrates the college’s commitment to delivering the highest quality education and professional development within sport and physical activity.
The ‘Enhancing’ status was granted following a rigorous quality assurance inspection conducted by experienced CIMSPA auditors, which assessed the college’s operations against the comprehensive CIMSPA quality assurance framework.
Ryan Collins, Head of Education, said: “Achieving accredited centre status back in September was a fantastic milestone, but this latest audit is the crowning achievement. It’s a real recognition of the team’s dedication, the hard work that has gone into shaping the college and its education provision, and the staff who bring it all to life.”
Read more here.
Keeping Active Through Football
The Foundation’s Active Through Football programme is a series of weekly sessions aimed at tackling health inequalities in Sheffield by promoting physical activity through football. Funded by Sport England and the National Lottery, and delivered in partnership with the Football Foundation, the programme focuses on engaging adults aged 18-35 in two key areas of the city: Parson Cross and Burngreave.
The programme brings together a consortium of local organisations to co-design and deliver informal, small-sided football sessions tailored to the needs of the community. These sessions are held at venues like Astrea Academy and Verdon Recreation Centre, offering accessible opportunities for residents to get active, improve their mental and physical wellbeing, and socialise with others.
Abdi, a new participant at the sessions said: “I’ve been coming to these sessions for the last few weeks. I had a lot of friends and colleagues that come here, and it’s all about getting together as a community and staying active. Since I’ve been coming, I’ve started to feel the effect it’s had on me, particularly my stamina. Being active in our daily lives is important and it keeps us going, it makes you feel better.”
Rizwan, one of our more active players who has been attending for over two years added: “It’s something I’ve always enjoyed as football has always been a hobby of mine. I stopped coming for a period of time, and I noticed that I felt tired often, so I realised I needed to get back involved as these sessions are a great way to exercise. It’s boosted my mental health too.”
Woodhouse West Claim Cup Glory
Congratulations Woodhouse West, winners of our Premier League Primary Stars Girls Cup!
It was also our pleasure to welcome Sheffield United Women’s players Joy Ralph and Charlotte Parker-Smith, who were on hand to support all the girls who took part in the tournament.
⚔️ We had the privilege of chaperoning some young Blades to meet the men’s first team at Sheffield United Academy! Watch the video here.
⚔️ Catch up on our latest environmental and sustainability endeavours with the latest Green Team update here.
⚔️ Finally, congratulations to our outstanding Community College students!
