Head of the Foundation Bobby Childs said: ”This funding will help to create a safe play area to engage people attending games at Sutton United, where we can host activities to encourage people to exercise & socialise before games. We would like to encourage a more diverse crowd at Gander Green Lane to include Adults with Disabilities, Women & Girls, the LGTBQ+ Community and older people, and this is one way to bring people together and make them feel part of the club”

Over 60 EFL club community organisations have received a grant in the first phase of funding, which aims to improve the quality of life within communities through the access to, and quality of, football provisions and initiatives.

Applications covering projects across a range of categories, such as improving local sporting facilities or promoting the physical and social benefits of the game, were considered, and rubber-stamped by a panel of industry experts including Sky Bet ambassador Jeff Stelling last month.

The Building Foundations Fund represents the largest multi-year sponsor-backed fund dedicated solely to community activity and the process is underway to give EFL Community Club Organisations (CCOs) a chance to bid for grants of up to £100,000 to invest in ongoing programmes or to develop new initiatives.

The EFL and Sky Bet agreed a record extension earlier this year that saw the sports betting brand continue as the League’s title partner until the end of the 2028/29 campaign. The commitment to a community fund was an integral part of the extension agreement.