QPR announce European alliance link-up
Queens Park Rangers have become the first club in the Barclays Premier League to commit to The Football Club Social Alliance to help some of the world's most disadvantaged children.
The West London club have teamed up with FC Basle, Werder Bremen, Bayer Leverkusen, Hapoel Tel-Aviv and Austria Vienna to use the unifying power and values of football to support disadvantaged young people and to sustainably foster their development.
Together they will help educate young people as qualified football coaches and role models for underprivileged children, inspiring future generations to become socially engaged in their community.
"We feel very privileged for Queens Park Rangers Football Club to be part of The Football Club Social Alliance," Martino Chevannes, QPR in the Community Trust manager, told theclub's official website. "We cannot wait to get involved in our first project and make a real difference."
"We cannot wait to get involved in our first project and make a real difference"
QPR's Martino Chevannes
The partnership follows on from the Trust's work overseas with Premier Skills, which uses football as a tool to engage with and develop the skills of young people across 15 countries.
"From going on these trips before we've seen what life-changing experiences these can be and the difference they make to both children and adults alike," added Chevannes.
"The Alliance share similar values to the Club and will build on the good work we are already doing to change people’s lives and inspire young people to achieve."
Since launching in 2007, the foundation's year-long coaching education programmes in Europe, Asia and Africa have reached more than 6,900 disadvantaged children and young people.
So far 161 young women and men have been trained to become young coaches, arming them with the skills and know-how to conduct their own activities for disadvantaged children in their communities and organisations.
The Alliance's work can be seen in war-torn regions across the globe including projects in Uganda, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Kosovo.
"It is great to see QPR joining The Football Club Social Alliance," Tim Vine, Head of Public Affairs at the Premier League, said.
"The club have a long history of delivering innovative grassroots projects and this will now give them the chance to share their experiences with other professional clubs from across Europe as they work together on projects in developing nations around the world.
"QPR's staff have played a big part in our Premier Skills project, helping train hundreds of new community coaches all over the world. I look forward to seeing the club make a similarly positive impact on anything they undertake with the Football Club Social Alliance."
