Category: News & Events

Southend United Community Foundation Head of Education, Andy Edmunds has provided an update on how our Post 16 Football & Education Programme is going from strength to strength.

The first half of the Autumn term for the Post 16 Education programmes has been a huge success, with a large amount of student enrolments from young people in the local area. Students enrolled onto our National recognised BTEC Level 2 and Level 3 BTEC programmes (all U19 provision) and had a successful pre-season from 1^st July 2024.

The start of the academic year saw a new structure to the Education team with the Education Department now overseeing the SUFC Youth Team (Academy U17’s and U19’s) where all learners will be playing in the National League Alliance South Division and Division A respectively. Danny Heath (Academy manager), Oisin Seager, Tom Bailey, and Harry Benefield make up the elite coaching team for this academic year, who have been working hard behind the scenes and built a strong relationship with the boys. The new and current CEFA academic learners have settled in well, working extremely hard both on and off the pitch, with their football and BTEC college work.

Also, due to the expansion of the education department, there was a positive increase in the amount of education tutors, where we successfully recruited Oisin Seager, Charlie Ann Sanders and Jamie Bradbourn, who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the SUCF Community Foundation.

Alex Clark (ex-academy player) has continued where he left off from the last academic year in his role as Head of Coaching and drive our enrichment / recruitment for 2024-25. He has been networking and liaising with local schools, clubs and community groups within the area to find the next future stars to come through the programme. Also, through the continued hard work and commitment within the foundation, Luke Reeve will be continuing his duties managing the CEFA B team, Elliot Booth will be working with the CEFA C team and Billy Appleton managing the CEFA D team. All the coaching team are UEFA qualified coaches, and we wish them well in their new roles at the foundation.

Our programmes offer different education and football pathways where alongside their college experience, we provide a professional football provision, with players being placed in appropriate squads. The teams have their own enrichment programme which consists of training, strength and conditioning sessions, VEO analysis workshops, opportunities to play against our u19 academy players and educational trips / friendlies against other teams across the country. Our home pitch is Garon Park Astroturf which we have sole use from 9am-4pm every day and play showcase matches at Southend United Football Stadium, where you would only get these opportunities at our college.

On the pitch, football results have been positive, and the students are developing in the short amount of time they have working together. SUCF teams compete in the EFL Community & Education Football Alliance League and enjoy playing against the likes of Norwich, Brentford, Fulham, Chelsea and Watford, who are some of the teams in our region.

For the last 6/7 weeks, it has been extremely busy where we have been visiting secondary schools and careers events to raise awareness, network and promote our September 2025 education provision. This is a very important role where we provide current year 10, 11, 12 and 13 students with the exciting opportunities available for them within further education and higher education, here at Southend United Community Foundation.

Alongside visiting schools, the Foundation have set up and built in a short space of time shadow squads, development centres and centre of excellence programmes, so young aspiring athletes can be part of the Southend experience, from as young as u9’s all the way through to the u16’s.

We hosted our first ‘Recruitment Day’ for the academic year during October half term, showcasing our exciting opportunities within the department. Alex Clark and the team delivered practical sessions for students and parents were invited to view our facilities. Applications are now open for September 2025 and if you wish to find out more information or apply for the 2025/26 academic year, please visit our website www.sufccommunityco.uk or contact Andy Edmunds on 07538 350 457 / a.edmunds@southendunited-cet.co.uk.

I would like to finish by thanking my staff for all their hard work during the first term. They have helped generate a positive learning environment for our current and new students, to enjoy their football and reach their full potential. I would also like to thank colleagues within Southend United Community Foundation, my CEO Dale Spiby, Southend United Football Club, our trustees and partner education provider Southend Adult Community College, who continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes, to make a positive experience for our students and people within the local community.

Up the shrimpers!

Andy Edmunds

Head of Education

The Southend United Community Foundation held several events across the 2023/24 season to raise valuable funds, which helped them deliver vital services to young people in the local area.

The Essex and Southend Sports Trust (EASST) Trustees continued their historical generosity by providing match funding of £25,000 towards all the money raised through a number of events.

Events included a Golf Day at Thorpe Hall Golf Club and participation from 10 volunteers in the Southend Half Marathon, as well as an Education Awards Evening where young people from the Community Foundation received awards for outstanding contribution to education, alongside traditional awards such as Players’ Player of the Year.

Dale Spiby, Community Foundation CEO said: “We have a long-standing relationship with EASST. They have provided help, support and funds during our toughest times, including their donation to the efforts to rebuild our Community Corner when it was burned down just as we came out of lockdown.

“In addition, they have given long-term support towards providing funds that give ongoing opportunities to local young people from deprived wards to participate in weekly sport sessions. I can’t give enough thanks to EASST for their support over the years, it means a lot.”

Rachel Butler, EASST Trustee added: “The Southend United Community Foundation is an organisation that shares our values and objectives, to give people, in particular young people, opportunities to thrive, develop, learn and be an active member of society through the means of sport.

“The Community Foundation has a unique ability to engage people and so we continue to identify ways to best support the work they do. EASST is pleased to be able to provide donations that sees people participating in sport more often, as it sits at the core of our existence.”

This academic year saw the Southend United Community Foundation enter its 10th year of educating young people in the local community.

Southend United Community Foundation recognises the positive role it can play within the community, so it created a unique sporting academic programme, with the aim of tackling the education inequality that exists within the City of Southend. Through its continual growth in strength and capacity over the last 10 years, the education department has the appropriate support structure to enable learners to develop life skills, maximise career choices and opportunities through carefully designed qualifications, support and activities, no matter what their academic or practical level. Such a structure sees the department annually attract and accept a diverse range of students onto its exciting programmes, ranging from BTEC Level 2, BTEC Level 3 Diploma, BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma and Foundation Degree (USW).

Our Education Department consists of 4 Education tutors and alongside the curriculum staff are our UEFA qualified coaching team. The department has high expectations and standards, working tirelessly to develop and maximise success, both in the classroom and within the football programme. We are extremely proud of our success and achievements over the years.

With courses based at Garon Park Recreational Ground and other fit for purpose facilities, including our education provider Southend Adult Community College, the foundations culture of valuing education with practical industry experiences is bolstered by the learning environment and partnerships. Our unique educational courses offer students the opportunity to combine academic studies with a competitive sporting environment, enabling students to play and represent the football club in a national football league, the Community and Education Football Alliance (CEFA). Our teams play against professional clubs such as Chelsea, Fulham, Colchester United, Brentford, Norwich, Ipswich and many more. Our students, whilst in education, also have the opportunity to progress into our Elite Shadow Squad, Academy and / or advance into the first team, representing Southend United Football Club.

If you would like to be part of a successful education department, please read through the job description below, send your CV to Head of Education Andy Edmunds a.edmunds@southendunited-cet.co.uk and request an application form. The deadline for completed applications is midday on the 28th June 2024.

If you would like any additional information about the role, please don’t hesitate to contact the above email or phone 07538 350 457.

To mark World Book Day 2024 (Thursday 7 March), the Premier League will be giving away more than 50,000 free books to children across England and Wales through its Premier League Primary Stars education programme.

Since Premier League Primary Stars began in 2017, more than 300,000 free books have been gifted to young people with an estimated value of £2.4million, thanks to the education programme’s partnership with the National Literacy Trust.

Launched in 2017 and available to every primary school in England and Wales, Premier League Primary Stars uses the appeal of football to help children to be active and develop essential life skills.

Southend United CET is one of 100 professional football club community organisations across England and Wales to give away the free books to local primary schools, with 250 books being gifted to local primary schools in Essex as part of their Premier League Primary Stars delivery.

Dan King (Operations Manager) – “It’s brilliant to able to gift local primary school’s books for their pupils. It allows us to continue to build strong relationships with those schools and encourages their pupils to carry on enjoying reading. A big thank you to the Premier League & National Literacy Trust.”

World Book Day promotes reading for pleasure, offering every child and young person the opportunity to have a book of their own as according to National Literacy Trust research, children who own their own books are much more likely to enjoy reading, read daily and read to relax.

National Literacy Trust research also found that one in eight children from disadvantaged backgrounds said they did not own a single book of their own at home, and the book ownership gap between them and more affluent peers is the largest seen in a decade.

To create more opportunities for pupils to experience the joy of reading on World Book Day itself, Premier League Primary Stars and the National Literacy Trust will host a free, fun-filled live online event, hosted by a top presenter and featuring the football school author, Ben Lyttleton.

The Great Big 2024 Footy & Booky Quiz literacytrust.org.uk/world-book-day-live will promote reading, engage pupils in reading activities and showcase reading role models through the medium of football.

Premier League Charitable Fund Chief Executive, Ruth Shaw OBE, said: “Since 2017, more than a quarter of a million children across England and Wales have received a free book thanks to Premier League Primary Stars and the National Literacy Trust. We know how important reading for pleasure is for developing confidence and positive mental health, and through the Premier League’s primary school education programme we want to continue to support children across the country to enjoy the many benefits that reading can bring.”

Jim Sells, Sport and Literacy Programme Manager at the National Literacy Trust, said: “World Book Day® celebrates reading for pleasure for everyone, which is central to our vision at the National Literacy Trust. We‘ve seen firsthand how choosing a book of their own can inspire a child’s love of reading, give them confidence, and support them at school, so we are delighted to be able to provide 45,000 free books directly to schools, thanks to our generous partners at World Book Day® and our-long term partners at the Premier League Charitable Fund.

“We know that some children and families may struggle to access and enjoy World Book Day due to financial and social barriers. Our goal is to engage those who need support through inclusive activities, like our free live quiz and wide-scale book donations, inspiring a life-long love of books and reading, supporting literacy skills, and empowering children and young people with the words to shape their own futures.”

Currently, 104 professional football clubs from across the leagues run in-classroom Premier League Primary Stars sessions in local partner schools. More than 68,000 teachers have signed up to access free online national curriculum-linked resources, to date.

The total Premier League investment into Premier League Primary Stars, via the Premier League Charitable Fund, is £61.9million, to date.

For more information, please visit Premier League Primary Stars

Southend United Community & Educational Trust is proud to celebrate 10 years of delivery across England and Wales of the Ferrero social responsibility programme, Joy of moving.

As the impactful programme enters its milestone 10^th year, Joy of moving has inspired over 550,000 children to get moving through play and delivered over 2.5 million hours of learning in hundreds of schools.

With more than 70,000 children set to benefit from the programme this academic year, Joy of moving is based on a unique methodology, developed by Ferrero alongside independent experts, that encourages children to get active using play as the foundation, whilst helping them to develop key skills, such as motor coordination, creativity, and social skills.

In the UK, the unbranded Joy of moving programme consists of two elements: the Move & Learn project and the Joy of moving Festivals, delivered in schools through the EFL Trust’s network of Club Community Organisations, which we’re proud to be a part of.

Charlie Cayton, Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications at Ferrero UK, said: “We are incredibly proud to be celebrating ten years of our Joy of moving social responsibility programme.

“The programme, delivered by our amazing partner and their fantastic Club Community Organisations, inspires children to get moving while playing and having fun. We know that this approach is key to get children engaged and I’m delighted to be able to say that together we have been able to reach over half a million children since our initiative began.

“Joy of moving has gone from strength to strength over the past decade and we’re excited for the programme to continue its success as we look ahead to the future.”

Adrian Bradley, Head of Healthier Communities at the EFL Trust added: More than half (53 per cent) of children do not meet the Chief Medical Officer guidelines of taking part in sport and physical activity for at least 60 minutes every day, according to Sport England findings*.

“Our Club Community Organisations (CCOs) are at the heart of their communities and have been integral in the development and delivery of the Joy of moving programme designed to inspire active lifestyles in children, teaching children how to enjoy moving through play, and to help them develop positive habits for adulthood.”

To learn more about the Joy of moving programme visit www.joyofmovingresourcehub.co.uk

Active Lives Children and Young People Survey – Academic year 2022-23 (Sport England) Published December 2023.

Southend United Community & Educational Trust (SUCET) – the official charity of Southend United is delighted to announce the continued support from Essex and Southend Sports Trust (EASST).

The £40,000 donation for the 2023/24 season is set to assist Southend United Community & Educational Trust (SUCET) programmes delivered within the local area.

EASST continues to support the valuable work that SUCET delivers with another very generous donation, meaning the relationship spans more than 30 years and demonstrates their commitment to supporting the people of Essex.

In addition to the £40,000 donation, EASST have agreed to match pound for pound the fundraising efforts of SUCET for the year, up to a figure of £25,000, taking the entire support to a figure up to £65,000.

This season’s donation will be used to support the delivery of SUCET’s Premier League Kicks Programme which provides young people a safe space to play football with their peers every week of the year, as well as working in primary schools to educate children about the importance of a healthy body and mind using sport as the vehicle.

EASST provides charitable grants within Southend-on-Sea and the wider county of Essex in support of sport and in particular football and cricket.

“We are delighted to be able to continue this partnership with SUCET. The work they do with children and young people across south east Essex is inspiring and we’ve seen firsthand the impact they have – it’s a pleasure to continue our treasured partnership.” 

Rachel Butler of EASST

“In EASST, we have a wonderful long-term partner who shares our vision and values, and long may our partnership continue. The donation received each year keeps increasing and is gratefully received. This not only takes over the £500,000 mark, but also evidences the ongoing commitment they have to give opportunities for the people of the region to partake in sporting programmes, with far reaching social outcomes.”

Dale Spiby, CEO of Southend United Community & Educational Trust

December 2023 edition – Education Term 1 report

Head of Education Andy Edmunds has provided an update on the progress of the SUCET Football & Education programme.

Our 91 BTEC Level 2 & Level 3 students have continued to progress well within their chosen course, with students focusing on their assignment work and some re-sitting their GCSE English and Maths during the first term.

Our second year students have explored ‘pathways’ where some have applied for University, USA scholarships, Apprenticeships and our Foundation Degree. These are all next steps for our learners, either into employment or higher education, after they complete their studies in June 2024. 

Our Year 2 students have received vital information through ongoing workshops / conversations with our CEO Dale Spiby, Academy Manager Danny Heath, First team player appearances, Development officers, and external partners. This shows the togetherness between the football club and the community trust. 

Recruitment for our education programmes for Sept 2024 continues to go from strength to strength, with more school events attended and booked in; successful open event run during October Half term; partnerships with more local non-league and charter standard clubs plus student application forms are increasing. Interviews will soon take place for our 24/25 cohort.

We will be hosting more open events in February and April 2024 respectively, showcasing the exciting opportunities for current year 11’s when they finish secondary school. Details of these events can be found here: 

https://southendunitedcommunityandeducationaltrust.coordinate.cloud/project/49468

SUCET football results continue to be positive with the A team remaining unbeaten so far this season. Both B & C teams continue to challenge and have shown improvement from last season. Head of Coaching Alex Clark & his coaching team provide excellent training sessions and our facilities create a positive environment, which allows students to reach their full potential. Students have also had the opportunity to play in-house friendlies against the Southend United Academy, who compete in the National League U19s. This has been a useful experience for students, so they can compete against academy players but also allows academy staff to watch players in certain positions, creating that positive link.

Our education provider Southend Adult Community College, partners and trustees have worked extremely hard behind the scenes to support both staff and students, alongside our positive relationship with the football club. 

Applications are still open for September 2024 start. If you wish to find out more information or apply for the 2024/25 academic year, please visit our website www.sufccommunity.co.uk or contact me on a.edmunds@southendunited-cet.co.uk 07538 350457.

Andy Edmunds

Head of Education