Andy Devaney
The EFL Week of Action is back from 3–7 November 2025, and it’s doing far more than filling fixture lists — it’s proving that football’s greatest victories happen off the pitch. Across England and Wales, EFL clubs are stepping up once again to show that their work in the community is about more than the game. It’s about saving lives, strengthening communities, and giving hope where it’s needed most.
This year’s EFL Week of Action celebrates how clubs have become vital lifelines for millions, tackling issues from mental health and social isolation to education and economic hardship.
The 72 Club charities have built something far more valuable than silverware — a £1.24 billion social impact across the 2022/23 and 2023/24 seasons, according to research published last November.
That’s not a typo — one point two four billion. All generated by projects born from football’s local roots: youth development, health programmes, education initiatives, and even life-saving CPR training.
As EFL CEO Trevor Birch put it: “The EFL Week of Action celebrates and demonstrates the formidable, life-changing impact that our Clubs and their Charities are making in their local communities.
Whether it’s supporting men, women, and children with mental health challenges, providing warm spaces and hot meals to families facing financial difficulties, or assisting those recovering from addiction, EFL Clubs are truly at the heart of their communities. They respond to, and proactively address, some of society’s biggest challenges.
I am always extremely proud to hear about the depth and breadth of services provided by Club charities and the positive contribution they make – work that is both locally relevant and nationally significant.”
Football With a Purpose
From Coventry to Cambridge, clubs are rolling out extraordinary initiatives this week that show football’s true power lies beyond ninety minutes.
At Coventry City, manager Frank Lampard will attend a dementia awareness event at the Coventry Building Society Stadium, spotlighting the club’s innovative support programmes. Birmingham City are bringing their “Brew with Blues” social isolation group to the same venue, joined by striker Jay Stansfield for a cuppa and a chat that matters.
In Oldham, the moving “Angels United” initiative sees fathers who’ve lost young children spend the day training with the first team — football, friendship, and healing all rolled into one.
Meanwhile, Tranmere Rovers and the British Heart Foundation, backed by Jamie Carragher and Sky Bet, are running mass CPR and defibrillator training sessions at Prenton Park. Their “Every Minute Matters” campaign has already inspired over 300,000 fans to learn CPR — a number that could fill Wembley three times over.
At Preston North End, tragedy has driven action: after two cardiac arrests at Deepdale in 18 months, the club will host CPR-Defib sessions before their next match to give fans the skills to save lives.
Mental health takes centre stage at Bolton Wanderers, where manager Steven Schumacher joins the “Headstart” project — equipping Year 6 children with mental resilience as they make the leap to secondary school. Charlton Athletic are lending support to young people with disabilities through their “Short Breaks” programme, with players Greg Docherty, Lloyd Jones, Keira Skeels and Karin Muya joining in the fun.
QPR striker Michael Frey, who uses art to manage his own mental wellbeing, will visit the “Healthy Kickers” mental health project — and even showcase some of his artwork to encourage others to open up.
Bristol Rovers’ Taylor Moore is turning personal pain into community healing. After his mother’s suicide attempt, he launched “5K Your Way” — a monthly walk inviting locals to talk, connect, and move together. It’s now drawing 200 people each month.
And at Cambridge United, first-team players are attending “Pledge United,” an education programme tackling misogyny and violence against women — football using its voice for change, not just celebration.
The Bigger Picture
The EFL Week of Action isn’t a PR exercise — it’s a nationwide display of compassion in action. It’s proof that football clubs remain among the last great social institutions still able to reach every corner of society.
From dementia cafés to anti-violence workshops, the message is the same: community isn’t built by handshakes and hashtags — it’s built by turning up, getting involved, and caring about people.
The next time someone calls football “just a game,” point them toward the EFL Week of Action. They’ll find heart, humanity, and hope — the sort that never makes the back pages but defines what the sport truly stands for.
