NORTHAMPTON TOWN COMMUNITY TRUST LAUNCHES PREMIER LEAGUE INSPIRES PROGRAMME TO LOCAL SECONDARY SCHOOLS

The Northampton Town Community Trust is pleased to announce the introduction of an exciting new initiative aimed at supporting the mental health and personal development of young people across Northamptonshire. The Premier League Inspires programme is being offered to a select number of secondary schools, with a particular focus on improving the wellbeing of teenage boys.

Premier League Inspires harnesses the power of football to engage young people aged 11–18 who may be at risk of not reaching their full potential. The programme addresses key challenges including self-confidence, self-esteem, behaviour, decision-making, peer pressure, healthy lifestyle habits, and physical activity. Delivered through a combination of group sessions, one-to-one mentoring, workshops, and social action projects, the initiative equips students with essential personal, social, and life skills.

Schools Manager, Lorna Stockwell said: "After running the Premier League Primary Stars programme for a number of years if has been great to get funding from the Premier League to extend our support to secondary schools with the funding for Premier League Inspires, we are already working with a number of student across 4 secondary schools and the schools are feeding back about the positive impact."

Following a successful application for Premier League funding, the Northampton Town Community Trust is offering partner schools the opportunity to access this programme one day per week throughout the academic year at a 50% discount on current secondary programme rates. This introductory offer is limited to just four secondary schools across Northamptonshire in the first year.

For more information please email lorna.stockwell@ntfc.co.uk

Josh's Story

Josh first attended our multi-disability Football club (MDFC) in 2012, and has been a regular participant ever since. Josh has not just improved his football skills but has built great friendships through these sessions. Each week he works hard to ensure all his teammates feel included in the session. Josh looks forward to the Friday sessions, but his favourite part of the MDFC is the opportunity to play in the BOBI league (Berkshire, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Inclusive League). This is an opportunity for players to meet other pan-disability teams whilst representing the club and wearing the kit.

“I’ve been a participant of this great club since mid 2012. I like getting to meet and play new teams on day trips out with the club when we get the opportunity to do so.”

Giving Tuesday: How you can be #proudtogive on December 2

With Giving Tuesday approaching on December 2, here’s a bit of a background to it and how your donations can help Northampton Town FC Community Trust. 

What is Giving Tuesday? 

Giving Tuesday is a global day of giving to encourage people to support the causes that mean the most to them. Running since 2012, this is your chance to join millions around the world who are donating time or money to good causes. 

Here at NTFC Community Trust, we’re passionate about the power of football creating lasting, positive change. Through sport, education, health, and inclusion programmes, we support people of all ages and backgrounds — encouraging participation, building skills, improving wellbeing, and promoting equity, diversity, and belonging. Proudly rooted in the values of the club, we continue to grow our reach and impact across Northamptonshire — changing lives and strengthening communities, one person at a time. 

This Giving Tuesday, we’re looking for Cobblers fans and supporters to show that they are #proudtogive as well as #proudtobe – you can donate to NTFC Community Trust here and share how you are supporting us online by using the hastags #proudtogive and #GivingTuesday 

Why Giving Tuesday? 

When it was launched in 2012, Giving Tuesday was used as a way to shift the focus from consumerism to generosity (as it takes place the Tuesday following Black Friday), giving people an annual day to give back to their communities and support their favourite charitable causes. 

In the last few years, tens of millions of pounds have been raised for UK charities alone! 

Why NTFC Community Trust? 

As we enter our 25th anniversary year in 2026 and launch our brand-new four-year strategy, we are looking to support more people across Northamptonshire than ever before.  

As a registered charity, we use the power of football to create lasting, positive change. Through sport, education, health, and inclusion programmes, we support people of all ages and backgrounds — encouraging participation, building skills, improving wellbeing, and promoting equity, diversity, and belonging. 

To do this, we need financial and volunteer support and Giving Tuesday is a great chance for us to make new connections! 

What issues are we tackling? 

Across our communities, people are facing complex and persistent challenges, from rising inequalities and youth violence to declining mental health and social isolation. Through our programmes in health and wellbeing, employability and schools and inclusion, participation and disability, we aim to tackle these challenges and improve people’s lives.  

Where could my money go? 

The money that you donate this Giving Tuesday could go towards a number of different projects. For example:  

A £5 donation could help to pay for equipment, food and kit for some of our participants. 

A £10 donation could help to fund a place for a participant in some of our weekly programmes.  

A £15 donation could help to fund a place in our 3v3 women’s and girls’ sessions.  

A £20 donation could help to fund a participant for one month in our community programmes. 

How can I donate? 

Your donations really could make a big difference to the people of Northamptonshire. This could mean helping a young person with their education, helping people to find a job or playing football and building community in a safe environment every week. 

The easiest way to make a donation is via our JustGiving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/charity/northamptontown-communitytrust 

Kevin's Story

Kevin was taking part in NTFC CT’s pan-disability group, Every Player Counts, when he heard about the disability friendly Volunteer Coach Academy (VCA) that was being run by the Trust. He wanted to take part because of his love for football and thought it would help him build his confidence and develop some useful transferable skills that will help him in the workplace and his personal life.

“I wanted to change my life and not feel stuck in the same spot anymore.”

Kevin lives with a mental health condition that he feels has been very up and down. He also has ADHD, saying he can struggle with focussed learning and finds paperwork a challenge – one he oftens puts off because he is nervous of making a mistake.

Taking part in the VCA alongside other people living with health conditions and disabilities helped him feel at ease joining a new group. The adaptions and support from staff with reading, completing forms and general comprehension meant he felt able to take part at his own pace and learn in his own way.

“My confidence often lets me down. I’m trying, but it’s not easy. I want to be more focussed, not be so quiet – if I become a coach, I need to be able to speak up. Volunteering with NTFC CT, and knowing there are people there to support me, has helped.”

The group environment allowed Kevin to benefit from peer support and group discussions with staff and the other participants; sharing experiences and different ways of tackling challenges.

“I knew some people there already, but it’s been good to meet everyone else. It’s good to get different views on tactics, warmups, how to change a session if the weather changes, things like that.”

Since completing the initial training, Kevin has applied to volunteer with NTFC CT – supporting with the groups he once took part in as a participant so that he can help other people. He’s enjoyed shadowing and supporting experienced staff and has been working on his confidence and communication – particularly when it comes to speaking up with any questions he has. He’s also seeking our support to continue his learning – applying for online courses to further build up his knowledge, which he feels will help him be more confident.

“I’ve really, really enjoyed the VCA. Meeting everyone has been great. I’ve made new friends and gained experiences I never had before. It’s been absolutely brilliant.”