Millwall Community Trust has been awarded a £10,000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund to re-engage ex-military service men and women back into civilian life through a football programme.

The programme will give participants the chance to increase their physical activity and exercise levels, whilst improving their mental wellbeing through the formation of new friendships with like-minded people, open communication and encouragement from coaches and other participants.

In addition, we aim to help to rebuild confidence levels of our participants that may have been negatively impacted upon their return to civilian life.

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.

To find out more about the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund with other examples of how the fund is being used, visit: https://m.skybet.com/lp/efl-building- foundations-fund