Funded by the Football Foundation and Sport Relief, and in partnership with Age Concern/Help the Aged, Extra Time is a two year pilot scheme that uses the power of football to target older people age 55 plus, and delivers social inclusion and physical activity projects nationwide.
Background
The Football Foundation worked with Sport Relief to explore the opportunity of a unique partnership programme which offers football club community schemes the opportunity to bid for funding in order to develop and manage a health and exercise, and social networking programme for older people over the age of 55. These discussions led to a joint partnership funding of a pilot programme, the Extra Time programme. Two strategic organisations Help the Aged and Age Concern (now merged together and renamed Age UK) were invited to help develop and to support both this specific programme.
Extra Time objectives
Older people are a group that both the Football Foundation and Sport Relief wish to engage with and this project tackles two important issues for older people, physical health emotional wellbeing and social isolation. The main aims of this programme are:
-
To provide exercise opportunities so as to increase physical activity. Physical activity improves both physical health and emotional wellbeing. It is one of the most important factors in maintaining a good quality of life.
-
To provide a programme that improves muscle strength, balance and mobility.
-
To provide social networking opportunities which can help address some of the social exclusion and isolation issues faced by older people.
-
To increase the target groups interest and connections with the professional game.
Project Progress
The Extra Time programme was launched in May 2008 and opened for applications from the Premier League and Football League community schemes. The scheme was oversubscribed and during the first year, 15 community schemes were successful in obtaining grants of up to £10,000.
