Category: News & Events

Southend United Community & Educational Trust Head of Education, Andy Edmunds has provided an update on how the Autumn term is progressing for our Post 16 Football & Education Programme.

The first half of the Autumn term for the Post 16 Education programmes have gone extremely well, with a high number of student enrolments from young people in the local area. We currently have 89 learners enrolled on our BTEC Level 2 and Level 3 BTEC programmes (all U19 provision). The start of the academic year saw a new structure to the Education team with Alex Clark (ex-academy player) being promoted from Community coach to Head of Coaching / Education tutor, through his hard work and commitment to the trust. Alongside the re-structure, John White (former club captain for the Shrimpers) joined the trust as Community Officer / College Manager. Furthermore, to assist both Alex and John, Luke Reeve (former Academy scholar) has been recruited as Community Coach and College Manager, who all bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the department.

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, and we play showcase matches at Southend United Football Stadium.

On the pitch, football results have been good, and the students are developing in the short amount of time they have been together. Our 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 I have been visiting secondary schools and careers events to raise awareness, network and promote our September 2024 education provision.

This is important 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 & Educational Trust.

We also hosted our first successful ‘Open evening’ during October half term, showcasing our exciting opportunities with a practical session for students and education presentation for parents. Applications are now open for September 2024 and if you wish to find out more information or apply for the 2024/25 academic year, please visit our website www.sufccommunityco.uk or contact me on 07538 350 457 / a.edmunds@southendunited-cet.co.uk.

I would like to finish by thanking my staff for all their hard work over the last few weeks. 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 & Educational Trust, my CEO Dale Spiby, Southend United Football Club, our trustees and partner education providers, who continue to work tirelessly behind the scenes, to make a positive experience for our students and people within the local community.

Andy Edmunds

Head of Education

Calling all 16-18 year old’s!

On Wednesday 25th October 2023 we are hosting a showcase event at Garon Park 3g Astro Turf, SS2 4FA.

Alex Clark (Head of Coaching) said “We are really looking forward to our showcase event on the 25th of October. We can’t wait to meet potential students for the 24/25 academic year. Hopefully it will be a good turnout with plenty of good football on display”.

Come meet our tutors and speak more about how you can develop your education and football with us!

For more information please contact our Head of Education Andy Edmunds on 07538350457 or email a.edmunds@southendunited-cet.co.uk.

View our Prospectus by scanning the QR code in the image below.

John White is returning to Southend United as a Community Officer and BTEC Coach for our Community & Educational Trust.

Former club captain White made a mammoth 288 appearances for Blues, but after initially departing at the end of the 2021/22 season, he’s back just 15 months later in a very different role.

The 37-year-old was a big part of Blues’ promotion at Wembley in 2015, a season where he played 45 of 46 games in the regular season. Spending nine seasons at Roots Hall, White is seen as a true legend by everyone at the club.

He will be using those experiences to full effect in his new roles as he looks to further enhance and raise awareness of the great work SUCET do in the community.

Explaining the varying parts of his new job, White said: “The main part of the role for me is Community Officer, which is office-based.

“It’s helping with logistics organising the after-school clubs and the soccer schools, making sure people are in the right place and the right time and that the level of programme that we provide is of a really high standard. It also involves trying to get different funding and things in the background.

“The second part is the BTEC Football Manager side, where I’ll be looking to use the experiences I’ve had as a player over the years and taking that into the management/coaching of one of the BTEC college football teams.

“We train 2-3 times a week and with matches every week as well, it’s great for lads who love their football, but the educational side has to come first.”

On returning to his second home, White added: “Coming back here’s been brilliant. I’ve only been back just over a week, but it feels like being home.

“I was away for just over a year, but coming back seeing so many faces that I know and that I can chat to and reminisce with, it’s been a great start. I want to bring the club closer to the community and try and put some smiles on faces.”

Dale Spiby, SUCET CEO commented: “We are delighted to welcome a club legend back to the club in the role of Community Officer. John is already proving to be a real asset and will no doubt put his leadership skills to use in the coming weeks as he begins to inspire our community coaches, and improve the skills of our college students.

“I’m really excited to see John flourish in the coming months and years, and know he will be a real success in his role.”

More than 150 young people from across England and Wales will head to Warwick University’s Cryfield Sports Pavilion this week, to take part in the Under-16 mixed Premier League Kicks Cup.

The Under-16 mixed tournament is one of the competition elements of Premier League Kicks. This is the Premier League’s flagship community programme, which sees clubs across England and Wales run free weekly football sessions and positive activity to engage and support young people.

Southend United Community & Educational Trust will be taking part in the Under-16 mixed tournament, for the chance to lift the 2023 Premier League Kicks Cup trophy. Teams will also be recognised for respect throughout the tournament, with fair play trophies awarded by Premier League, EFL and WSL match officials.

Almost 900 participants representing more than 80 professional football clubs across England and Wales took part in regional qualifying tournaments earlier this year, in the hope of earning the chance to play in the Premier League Kicks Cup finals, in the playing kit of their professional football club side.

Premier League Head of Community Nick Perchard said: “For over 15 years Premier League Kicks has had an incredible impact on communities across England and Wales, providing hundreds of thousands of young people free access to sport in the heart of their community.

“By bringing together young people from 20 professional football clubs, this year’s Premier League Kicks Cup Under-16 mixed tournament will support young people to make new friends, engage in positive activities and work together to develop their potential both on and off the pitch.”

Premier League Kicks began in Season 2006/07 in partnership with the Metropolitan Police, with the aim of involving and supporting young people in regular, positive and fun activity, whilst helping to create stronger, safer, more inclusive communities.

Today, clubs work with 36 territorial police forces throughout the country to tackle issues affecting young people, with regular sessions taking place in disadvantaged areas.

As well as providing young people with access to free football and sports activities, professional football club community organisations (CCOs) also provide additional year-round support through Premier League Kicks, offering mentoring, life skills advice and access to opportunities such as volunteering and social action to help aid personal development.

This season’s Premier League Kicks Cup finals will also support players’ mental health and wellbeing off the pitch, by offering participants the opportunity to take part in a range of additional activities, including hearing from inspirational guest speakers and social media workshops to inspire young people to reach their potential.

Thanks to the Premier League’s official ball supplier, Nike, Master Trainers will be on-hand to deliver warm-up activities, and all participants will have the chance to capture their involvement in the tournament in the Panini sticker photobooth, thanks to the League’s official sticker and trading card licensee.

“Staff and players are really looking forward to the event. There is a real buzz around the players to represent the club in a tournament against other top teams.”- Dan King Operations Manager

Since it began, more than 490,000 young people have participated in Premier League Kicks football and multi-sport sessions delivered by 90 Premier League, English Football League and National League sides. More than one million hours of sessions have been delivered since launch.

To date, the Premier League has invested almost £66 million in Premier League Kicks through the Premier League Charitable Fund.

Visit premierleague.com for more information.

Join us this summer at our popular soccer schools!

Paid Soccer Schools

‘’A day packed with Fun, Friends and Football.

All Soccer Schools are open to ages 5 -13, male and female, and for children of all abilities. The day duration is 10:00am – 3:00pm and all children require a packed lunch, drinks and suitable footwear, shinpads and clothing for all weather conditions. Please turn up in trainers with boots in a bag due to no football boots allowed inside.’’

We are using a new bookings site this summer, click the link below:

Event Search | Southend United Community & Educational Trust (coordinate.cloud)

HAF Soccer Schools

‘’A day packed with Fun, Friends, Food and Football.

Participants can attend who claim Benefit Based Free Schools Meals or Working Families who are on low income.

Alongside the football sessions, we will be offering workshops to explain the importance of living a healthy lifestyle and how to achieve this. A healthy packed lunch will also be provided for the children who attend. All children will require drinks, suitable footwear (NO studs), shinpads and clothing for all weather conditions. Please arrive in trainers and bring boots in a bag.’’ 

Click the link below for the Southend City Council HAF programme:

Event Search | Southend United Community and Educational Trust (coordinate.cloud)

Southend United FC will be represented by Kents Hill Junior School in the London regional events of the Premier League Primary Stars U11 National Girls Football Tournament, in a bid to claim their place at the 2023 finals.

Ten regional events will be staged at community facilities across the country, with hundreds of young people representing Premier League, English Football League and National League clubs hoping to win the opportunity to play at Elland Road, home of Leeds United FC, in the playing kit of their respective professional football club.

Last year, more than 800 young people took part in the regional events. Caerleon Lodge Primary School, representing Newport County, are the current champions having won the tournament in 2022 at Vicarage Road, Watford.

The U11 National Girls Football Tournament is one of the competition elements of the Premier League Primary Stars programme. 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.

Premier League Head of Community Nick Perchard said: “The Premier League Primary Stars U11 National Girls Football Tournament creates an amazing opportunity for girls from across England and Wales to come together and represent their professional football clubs. The regional events help to get more girls into football and bring young people together from diverse backgrounds.”

Premier League Primary Stars enables teachers to use resources across English, Maths, PE and PSHE, to support children to develop skills and values that are crucial to success in later life. Currently 103 professional football clubs from across the leagues run in-classroom Premier League Primary Stars sessions in local partner schools.

Dan King (PLPS Lead) – ‘’The Premier League Primary Stars programme uses the appeal of the Premier League and Southend United to inspire children to learn, be active and develop important life skills. Over the past four years, I have definitely seen the positive impact the Primary Stars programme has had on our local community. Seeing children learning new skills, improving their physical and mental wellbeing and having fun is great to see. Teachers have also benefited massively from the programme by working closely with Southend United Community & Educational Trust sport coaches to develop their knowledge and skills to be able to deliver a beneficial PE lesson.’’

The free primary school programme provides teachers and parents with downloadable resources across a range of curriculum subjects at Key Stage 1 (age 5-7) and Key Stage 2 (age 7-11), developed by teachers for teachers, and in collaboration with subject experts such as the National Literacy Trust and the PSHE Association. More than 60,000 teachers have signed up to access free online national curriculum-linked resources.

Southend United Community & Educational Trust is proud to continue its support and delivery of Ferrero UK’s Joy of moving corporate social responsibility programme which inspires thousands of children to lead an active and balanced lifestyle.

The Joy of moving programme has been supporting children across EFL Communities in the UK for the past eight years, engaging over 440,000 children during that period, with a further 72,000 primary school children set to benefit from the programme this year.

The programme consists of two elements – the school-based Move & Learn programme and the Joy of moving Festivals – which have been developed in conjunction with EFL Trust. The unbranded programme is designed to inspire children to move through play, and in doing so, build up key skills such as physical fitness, motor coordination, cognitive functions and creativity and life skills. Alongside the in-school programme offer is the Joy of moving Resource Hub which houses a variety of fun games and activities to get children and families moving at home.

Cathy Abraham, Chief Executive at EFL Trust added:

”We are extremely proud of the Joy of moving programme and the positive impact it has on children each year. We are delighted to continue our partnership with Ferrero and through the EFL Trust’s network of Club Community Organisations, we will continue to deliver a fun programme to children and families.”

Charlie Cayton, Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications, Ferrero UK concluded:

“We’re incredibly proud to have been able to deliver our corporate social responsibility programme, Joy of moving, over the past eight years to children up and down the country. Through our long-term charity partnership with the EFL Trust, the programme has delivered some fantastic results and helps to inspire children to learn skills that will support them in developing positive habits for adulthood. We look forward to the next year of the partnership as we continue to inspire children and families to get active and to discover the Joy of moving.”

To learn more about the Joy of moving Programme, visit

www.efltrust.com/joyofmoving

Xmas is a wonderful time of year for most, a time for spending time with loved ones, and a time of reflection, and a time taking care of people.

However, it can also be a time of struggle for many, and for different reasons. With that in mind, SUCET would like to remind people of some important messages.

SUCET’s Xmas message is………….

Support yourself and others this Xmas

Use nature and get outside

Check in with someone today

Ensure you talk about how you feel

Take time to speak to a friend or loved one

SUCET is pleased to launch its partnership with R;pple, a charity set up to prevent people attempting suicide or self-harm via software downloaded to pc’s.

What is R;pple

R;pple is a simple piece of tech, for use on laptops and desktop PCs. It’s an interceptive tool, in the form of a browser extension, designed to present a visual prompt when a person searches for harmful keywords or phrases relating to the topic of self-harm or suicide in search engines. These phrases include any words or terminology which have been identified as displaying potentially damaging online content.

If a user searches for harmful content online, on Google for example, the search will be interrupted with a pop-up screen. They will first be guided through a set of breathing exercises and then the screen changes to show simple, uncluttered and calmly presented collection of helplines, and mental health support services they can access, both now and longer term; accompanied with a message of hope and encouragement to keep safe.

What issue is R;pple addressing?

Harmful online search results can add a level of vulnerability to individuals by reinforcing their feelings, legitimising their thoughts and providing users with the ways and means to act on their contemplations. Currently, when a user searches for a term relating to self-harm or suicide via a search engine, one option of mental health support is displayed: a helpline. And as we know, the listings give a lot of information to try to chose from – probably too many choices for someone in crisis to comprehend. And then there are the very harmful websites that can be found and accessed from a search result list.

R;pple aims to minimise the risks of the internet, while harnessing its potential for good.

Luke Haseldine, Senior B2B Executive at R;pple Suicide Prevention said “I’m delighted that SUCET have chosen to partner with us and help make the internet a safer place. We’ve all endured two difficult winters and now with the cost-of-living crisis, this winter is adding another unwelcomed pressure.

Please look after yourselves and those close to you during this Christmastime. Take note of SUCET’s suggestions if you or a loved one are feeling low and please download the R;pple tool and tell other people about it. Help is out there, and everyone deserves to feel a sense of hope.”

The link to the section about how to install the R;pple tool on to personal laptops and desktops (as individual items) is:

R;pple | Install (ripplesuicideprevention.com)