How power of sport can change lives
The weekend interview Siobhan Atkinson is determined to use the language of sport to ensure no child goes to school hungry, writes Deputy Business Editor, Greg Wright.
SPORT IS a universal language that transcends national boundaries, as Siobhan Atkinson can testify.
As a young, idealistic worker, Ms Atkinson flew to South Africa to take part in a project to build a football pitch in a township. She soon made friends with the locals, even if they struggled with her name.
“It was a wonderful community in a small town called Gansbaai,” recalled Ms Atkinson.
“We built a full- size 3G pitch. The children couldn’t pronounce my name so they just called me a ‘ soccer lady’.
“There was a neutral piece of land that all communities regularly walked across, so we built a full- size pitch, a changing room complex, club house, athletics lanes around the pitch and some netball courts.
“It provided a focal point for all the young people regardless of the colour of the skin to come together, get to know each other and play sport in a safe environment.
“It really brought the communities together. That’s the power sport has. It’s a language that doesn’t require words.”
As chief executive of the Huddersfield Town Foundation, she is determined to use the power of sport to reduce homelessness and ensure no child goes to school hungry. The foundation, which was launched in 2012 by Huddersfield Town’s then chairman, Dean Hoyle, is probably best known for its Early Kick- Off breakfast clubs, which provide local school children with a nutritious start to the day.
The foundation runs more than 30 Early Kick Off breakfast clubs across the district. So far, it has served more than 1.5 million breakfasts to local children.
The foundation has also distributed more than £ 13,000 across charities which aim to reduce homelessness, with a further £ 8,000 to be donated to other organisations later in the year. It is aiming to tackle a growing homelessness crisis in Kirklees, and create a legacy of hope.
Ms Atkinson’s original ambition was to work in broadcasting.
“When I was at school I wanted to present Grandstand,” she said. “Torvill and Dean were my sporting idols. Watching amazing events like the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles really showed me the power of sport.
“I wanted a career in sport, so I did a sports degree at the University of Birmingham. I was born in Stamford Bridge and played under 21s netball for Yorkshire and then fell into a sports development job at Birmingham Council.”
Over the last two decades, Ms Atkinson has worked for the Premier League, The Football Foundation, Barclays and the Rugby Football League. She spent eight years at the Premier League supporting clubs on their community strategy.
She created Premier League Girls’ Football, a £ 3m initiative that created opportunities for more than 25,000 girls.
She said: “I worked for the Premier League at a very exciting time which showed the power of football to engage with young people and how it can generate interest in other sports.
“Before and after the London Olympics, the Premier League recognised it could deliver a programme that would provide the platform to learn about different sports .
“At the same time, women’s football was gaining a bit of momentum and we provided a
pathway for girls to get involved with football when there was an explosion of interest in the sport.
“I’m passionate about giving opportunities to young people who otherwise might not have them. Having the women’s team involved in a football club as part of a collective brand is a good thing.
“We are working very closely with the Huddersfield Town Women’s team to build that base of support.
“When we have events where children meet the Town players, the girls want to get the autographs of the women’s players. That’s a sign of a real shift.”
She added; “The fact the foundation was formed by the club’s former chairman really
is crucial. It means I don’t have to worry about getting support from senior figures at the club for what we are aiming to achieve.”
The foundation continued to deliver the breakfast clubs during the lockdown; although not all of them have come back so far.
Ms Atkinson added: “We have lost a lot of fundraising events, so we are finding our own ways of raising income, like doing our own version of the Great North Run. People are taking on their own personal challenges.
“The club’s 23,000 fans are a resource. We would hope that every fan can do a little bit to help us.”
“I’ve never gone to school hungry; I have no idea what that feels like,’’ she added. “Every
action can make our community so much nicer. We are one club with one community.”
Face to face activity is back up and running, although things are not back to normal. The foundation has carried out workshops for children who were worried about going back to school and has also developed its offering digitally.
“At the end of October we are launching a course to prepare
young people who are leaving the care system for life in the outside world,” Ms Atkinson added.
“We are also launching a mental health initiative and we are reaching out to different elements of the community with activities like walking football.
“It’s about stopping people on the verge of a crisis sinking into a situation where they develop the need for specialist help. It just comes back to seeing what people have to face.”
Whether she is working in South African townships, or spreading the word about the foundation’s work around Kirklees’ Heavy Woollen towns, Ms Atkinson’s passion for humanitarian intervention is palpable.
Every action can make our community so much nicer. We are one club with one community.