Young people representing Swindon Town Community Foundation joined hundreds from across England and Wales in this year’s Premier League Inspires Challenge celebration, a national event that uses football to empower 11 – to-18-year-olds through life skills, mentoring, and social action.

The Challenge is one element of the Premier League Inspires programme, which supports 11 – to-18-year-olds who may be at risk of not reaching their potential as they move through the education system and into early adulthood. The Premier League, through its Foundation, currently funds 54 football club charities to run Premier League Inspires sessions in secondary schools on a weekly basis.

This season, young people have been tasked with a social action project to come up with ways in which they would support young people’s mental wellbeing in their communities. Earlier this season, Swindon Town Community Foundation representatives came together to share their project ideas at a local heat, where teams presented their concepts to staff and peers. The winning team, girls representing the Foundation from GWA, developed their Women’s Wednesday social action project to create a safe and supportive space for young women to talk openly, build confidence, and support each other’s mental wellbeing.

A participant, said: ​“Women’s Wednesday gave us a space where we felt heard and supported. It’s really important to have somewhere you can talk and know people understand what you’re going through.”

The focus on mental wellbeing aligns closely with the Premier League’s Inside Matters initiative, which highlights the League’s and clubs’ ongoing commitment to raising awareness of the topic and encouraging fans to check in on the wellbeing of others.

The Swindon Town Community Foundation Premier League Inspires Challenge team also explored the positive work Swindon Town FC is already doing to support mental well-being, including community outreach sessions, school-based mentoring, and wellbeing-focused workshops delivered through the Foundation.

Having won their local heat, Swindon Town Community Foundation participants joined hundreds of young people at the Premier League Inspires Challenge celebration event at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium at the end of April.

Premier League Foundation Chief Executive, Alex White, said: ​“The Premier League Inspires Challenge gives young people a powerful platform to discuss and take steps to improve young people’s mental well-being within their communities. This year’s theme encourages participants to champion positive mental well-being, break down stigma and create supportive environments where everyone feels able to thrive.

“By taking part in Premier League Inspires, young people can strengthen their confidence and build valuable skills — from communication and planning to teamwork and resilience — as they design meaningful social action projects that promote healthier, happier communities.”

Alongside the participant-focused activities, mental health specialists and representatives from across the sport and charity sectors came together for a round table event. The discussion focused on the role of football club charities in supporting young people’s mental health and wellbeing and was delivered by the Premier League and Premier League Foundation in partnership with Comic Relief.

The three-year partnership with Comic Relief is using the power of football to put children and young people aged five-to-18 at the heart of a nationwide push for better mental health by giving them access to practical wellbeing tools, education resources and essential life skills, while tackling stigma head-on.

Swindon Town Community Foundation began its Premier League Inspires delivery in 2019 and since then has supported over 1,500 young people through more than 2,000 sessions in 15 local schools.

Nationally, more than 40,000 young people from across England and Wales have received more than 135,000 hours of targeted support through Premier League Inspires to date.

To find out more about Premier League Inspires, please visit: www​.pre​mier​league​.com