Football Beyond Borders

🎙️ Our Director of External Relations, Ceylon Andi Hickman, joined BBC Newscast to speak on an urgent and growing issue: the crisis of masculinity facing many boys and young men today. Ceylon emphasised the deep-rooted need amongst boys for belonging, identity, connection, and positive role models—and the danger of what happens when these needs go unmet. At FBB, we see this crisis playing out every day with boys up and down the country. But we also see the clear solution. 💬 Through long-term, consistent relationships with trusted adults, a curriculum that helps boys make sense of the world around them and doesn't shy away from addressing uncomfortable topics, and a community that values emotional expression and relational culture—we’re showing that there is another way. This isn't just about tackling toxic masculinity. It’s about redefining the concept of manhood in a way that's healthy, hopeful, and grounded in empathy. #BBCNewscast #BoysDevelopment #CrisisOfMasculinity

Congratulations to Comic Relief on a brilliant Red Nose Day and for marking 40 years of impact across the UK and beyond. 👏🏽❤️ £37 million total raised on Red Nose Day – what an incredible achievement for Comic Relief! We’re especially proud to be one of the organisations Comic Relief continues to support. Over the past few years, their funding has played a key role in helping us ensure that more vulnerable young people have a trusted adult in their lives—someone who sees them, believes in them and shows up consistently. Most recently, their support made it possible for our girls’ group from Elmgreen School to visit the TK Maxx HQ ahead of Red Nose Day. As long-standing supporters of Comic Relief, TJX Europe welcomed the group with open arms – and gave them an incredible insight into the world of retail. The girls spent time with the President of TK Maxx and senior leaders across the business, learning about everything from marketing and sustainability to store operations. It was a brilliant opportunity to build confidence, spark curiosity, and expand their sense of what’s possible. The visit followed TK Maxx and Comic Relief’s own trip to Elmgreen School back in October – a full-circle moment that rekindled connections and created something really special. Thank you for helping to make this happen – and for backing the potential of young people through organisations like ours.

On Monday night, we attended the Richard Dimbleby Lecture featuring Sir Gareth Southgate, where he spoke powerfully about what boys need to thrive: a positive culture, genuine opportunities for connection, and the chance to develop their identities around positive values like belief and resilience. At Football Beyond Borders, this is exactly what we provide—a space where boys feel seen, heard, and supported, role models who help them navigate challenges at a critical stage in their lives, and a curriculum that both acknowledges the challenges they face in their day to day lives and facilitates them with the tools to help them navigate those challenges. Every day, we see how this foundation can transform their confidence, relationships, and aspirations. Southgate also referenced the CSJ "Lost Boys" report, which highlights the stark reality that boys are consistently falling behind in education, with gaps appearing as early as age five. It’s a growing challenge that demands urgent attention. If you want to watch the lecture, it’s available to watch on BBC iPlayer (https://lnkd.in/e2fGuC45) And if you work with young people, we’d recommend reading the Education section (pages 21-33) of the "Lost Boys" report—it’s an important read (https://lnkd.in/etunNk6Z). At FBB, we know that when boys have the right culture, connections, and role models, they don’t just catch up—they thrive.

FBB at ASCL Conference 💫 We were delighted to join school leaders from across the country at Association of School and College Leaders Conference this weekend in Liverpool 💥 Our team exhibited and delivered a workshop on Cost-Effective Solutions for Supporting your Most Vulnerable Students. It was brilliant to hear from Manny Botwe in his opening remarks as ASCL President, as well as all the other speakers committed to building an education system that supports the most vulnerable students to thrive 👏 A big thanks to Pepe DiIasio and team for having us.

We had this film played out to 90,000 fans at Wembley & nearly 17 MILLION (and counting) online 🤯 We couldn’t have asked for a more special moment as Ethan Payne and Tobi Brown of The Sidemen visited our Urswick School FBB group to experience an FBB session live in person. This year, we received £25,000 from Brightside Charity to support our work with young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who are passionate about football but disengaged at school. Here is a snippet of what we got up to that day and why it’s so important for you to donate to Brightside Charity, which supports organisations such as FBB. https://lnkd.in/eVq4AaDt Thank you so much to everyone who made this possible ❤️ Sidemen Entertainment Jordan Schwarzenberger

JD x Nike x Football Beyond Borders : Moss Side Meets Rodri ⚽💙 In an unforgettable day at the Millennium Powerhouse, JD, Nike, and Football Beyond Borders teamed up to give young footballers in Moss Side the ultimate surprise training with Manchester City Football Club midfield maestro and 2024 Ballon d’Or winner, Rodri! From skill-building challenges to a Q&A session, the day was all about inspiring the next generation to develop a winning mindset, on and off the pitch and with Nike’s Mad Energy Pack in the mix, the energy was electric! A huge thank you to Rodri, Football Beyond Borders, and Nike for making this moment happen. Stay tuned for more exciting JD events coming soon! Keep an eye on our socials (@jdsports) for all the action, with coverage from presenter Kyle Walker (@kylewalker15). 📲 #JDSports #Nike #FootballBeyondBorders #Rodri #MadEnergyPack #FindYourWin

🌟 Thrilled to share that Sonam Sandhu and Matt Bishop from Footballbeyondborders will be delivering at the upcoming Youth Innovation Conference, diving deep into the power of Social Emotional Learning in schools! 🧠❤️ 📅 Date: [2nd April 2025] 📍 Location: [UA92, Manchester] 🎫 Tickets: [£10 per person / free to young people] 🎟️ Spots are limited—register today! --> https://zurl.co/gn62w #YIC25 #Youth #Innovation #FYP

🚨 We're Hiring! 🚨 Are you a strategic leader passionate about driving impactful programmes and making a difference? We’re looking for a Director of Programmes to join our team and lead the charge in delivering excellence!   📍 Location: London, North West or West Midlands 💼 Role: Director of Programmes ✨  What you’ll do: - Drive Impact: Oversee programme quality, ensuring they meet the needs of the young people and communities we serve. - Innovate and Grow: Identify opportunities to expand our reach, improve our programme, and embed best practice. - Collaborate and Scale: Work with delivery, partnerships, and impact teams to ensure programmes are effective, sustainable, and scalable. - Design and Deliver: Lead the creation and execution of innovative programmes that drive transformational outcomes for young people.   ✨ What we’re looking for: - Proven experience in programme management and leadership. - Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills. - A passion for creating meaningful change and inspiring teams. If you’re ready to take on a rewarding challenge and grow with us, we’d love to hear from you! 👉 Apply here: https://lnkd.in/eeWKQWfr Know someone who’d be perfect for this role? Tag them in the comments or share this post! Let’s find the next great addition to our team. 

In December, we had the incredible opportunity to take 110 girls to a pitch day at Wembley Stadium, thanks to our amazing partner Nike Football and the support of The Football Association. The day was packed with excitement: ⚽ Our girls took part in a mini-tournament and skill honing drills, playing on the very same pitch where footballing legends have achieved greatness. 🎤 In the press room, they hosted post-match press conferences, stepping into the shoes of players and gaining a taste of life in the spotlight. This immersive experience gave our young people the chance to feel part of something bigger than themselves. Bringing together school groups from across our programmes also created a valuable opportunity for them to put their social and emotional learning skills into action, fostering teamwork, connection, and confidence in themselves. Spending the day in such an iconic stadium felt transformational—not just for our young people but for us as an organisation. And while the girls were busy on the pitch, we were honoured to launch our 2023-24 Impact Results in the Nike box, celebrating our strongest year of impact yet. 💪 📖 Read our full impact report here: https://lnkd.in/ekj9rvJf A huge thank you to Nike Football and The FA for making this unforgettable day possible. Here’s to more transformational opportunities for our young people in 2025! 💫 📹 edit by Talitha G.

Massive congratulations to our girl Debra Nelson after being appointed to the Board of the Women's Professional Leagues Limited 🎉 Debra is the first ever Board Observer and will get the chance to bring a youth culture perspective to board discussions, continuing her commitment to using football as a tool for social change. After spending years battling with the idea that there wasn’t a space in football for young girls like her, Debra's new role ensures the women’s game is relevant, inclusive and inspiring to a younger generation.