Football club charities unite to strengthen communities across South Yorkshire

A new South Yorkshire-wide initiative bringing together the region’s professional football club charities has been launched to strengthen community cohesion, tackle isolation and improve health and wellbeing.

We Are United is led by Rotherham United Community Trust in partnership with Sheffield Wednesday Community Programme, Sheffield United Community Foundation, Club Doncaster Foundation and Barnsley FC Community Trust. Together, the five organisations will deliver a coordinated programme across ten priority neighbourhoods in South Yorkshire.

The project has been developed in response to increasing levels of isolation, health inequalities and community division, alongside rising concerns around loneliness, hate crime and social tension across the region. We Are United will focus on supporting adult men who may be experiencing isolation or marginalisation, including individuals from White British, South Asian, Roma, refugee and asylum-seeking communities.

At the heart of the programme is the recruitment and training of Peer Wellbeing & Integration Champions, local people with lived experience of isolation or exclusion. Champions will complete accredited training in coaching, health and wellbeing, and community leadership, enabling them to deliver inclusive weekly sessions within their own neighbourhoods.

These sessions will blend physical activity with wellbeing support and guided conversation, creating safe, welcoming spaces where participants can build confidence, develop trust and form meaningful social connections. All with football acting as a familiar and inclusive starting point.

Alongside weekly activity, the programme will host South Yorkshire United Wellbeing Days, rotating between club venues across the county. These monthly events will bring participants together from different communities, encourage confidence in independent travel and reinforce football clubs as open, safe and welcoming spaces for everyone.

The initiative is funded through the EFL in the Community Catalyst Fund, with additional support from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, and aligns closely with regional priorities outlined in the Health is Wealth strategy. The programme will also be independently evaluated by the University of Sheffield, helping to build a strong evidence base to support future investment and replication.

By combining football, peer leadership and community-led delivery, We Are United aims to create lasting impact. Developing empowered local leaders, stronger social networks and more inclusive, resilient communities across South Yorkshire.

Speaking of the initiative, CEO John Davis said: "Club Doncaster Foundation are proud to be part of We Are United, working alongside partner club charities to deliver inclusive wellbeing sessions and community activity within local neighbourhoods. We have seen the unique way that football can bring communities together and through We Are United we will be working alongside our fellow clubs to support local communities and improve the lives of more people across South Yorkshire."

Keep an eye on the Foundation's social channels to see more from the initiative over the next few months.