Leyton Orient Trust launches new project for fans, supported by the Premier League

Leyton Orient Trust has launched a new project, supported by the Premier League Fans Fund.

The Premier League Fans Fund provides grants to support football clubs at all levels of the game to strengthen connections between them, their fans, and local communities.

The fund supports a range of fan-focused and fan-led projects, helping to foster a sense of belonging through meaningful engagement. This includes schemes for under-represented groups, to further develop an inclusive and welcoming matchday experience for everyone.

Orient Future Fans will use the reach and appeal of Leyton Orient Football Club to engage with local community groups inviting them to attend matches, meet players and use the stadium facilities; support and develop existing fan groups including the RainbO’s, PunjabiOs and MeshuganOs and help set up two new fan groups for female and disabled fans.

Through the fund Louisianna Webb has been appointed as Club and Community Activator to bring the project to life.

Leyton Orient Trust Chief Executive Neil Taylor said ‘We have worked closely with the Club for many years encouraging the communities that the Trust engages with in Hackney, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets and our home borough of Waltham Forest, to get involved with the Club by attending matches and using the unique facilities available at the Stadium. This investment from the Premier League will help us take this much further as well as help us engage with the fan base.’

Open to 120 professional football club community organisations in the Premier League, English Football League, National League, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship, the Premier League Fans Fund builds on the Premier League and clubs’ commitment to ensuring long-term engagement with supporters.

Premier League Director of Community, Nick Perchard, said: “Fans are the lifeblood of football and their commitment to, and involvement with, their local club is essential to the continued success of the game at every level.

“Through the Premier League Fans Fund we are investing in projects that will enhance connections between clubs and fans, whilst also delivering even more community impact. By supporting clubs across England and Wales, from both the men’s and women’s game, to develop projects that respond directly to the needs of their fans, we can help to ensure that football offers a fantastic experience for everyone.”

Premier League funding supports projects that respond to local need, and which aim to improve the match day environment for fans and/or residents, address fan behaviour, and community impact such as the cost-of-living crisis, build upon a club's heritage and engage and support underrepresented fan groups (disability, ethnicity, LGBTQ+, women and girls).

Delivery is often themed around tackling inequalities to create community cohesion, covering areas like equality, diversity, and inclusion, mental health and wellbeing, physical health and wellbeing, providing education and training opportunities, supporting employability, and/or sustainability.

Funding is flexible to empower professional football clubs, and their community organisations, to develop fan-focused and fan-led projects that respond directly to the needs of their local community.

The Premier League Fans Fund is administered through the Premier League Charitable Fund.

To find out more about the Premier League Fans Fund, please visit www.premierleague.com/plcf

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Notes to editors

About Premier League Fans Fund

The Premier League Fans Fund provides grants to support football clubs at all levels of the game to strengthen connections between them, their fans, and local communities.

The fund is open to 120 professional football club community organisations in the Premier League, English Football League, National League, Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship.

The Premier League has committed £5million to the Fund from 2023-2025. This will be administered through the Premier League Charitable Fund.