BREAKING: CHARLTON DECLARES THE VALLEY OF DREAMS
The collaboration, which unites Charlton’s boys’ and girls’ academies with the multi-award-winning Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) outside of the professional game, will be formally introduced in the House of Commons on May 23.
Recently, Charlton was crowned the EFL Community Club of the Year. CACT has delivered £49.6 million in social value, directly improving the lives of 25,000 individuals in the community.
Across the region, CACT offers over 65 programs, one of which is the industry-leading equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) program. Thanks to this program, Charlton has become one of the select few clubs to get the newly instituted EDI Silver designation from the EFL. While the ladies’ academy has finished another productive season, the boys’ academy of the club was recently ranked seventh in the United Kingdom.
Businesses will be able to support the club’s Grassroots to Excellence program as part of the Valley of Dreams initiative. Through the club’s successful academies, young people are supported in realizing their full potential off the field as well, with career opportunities in media, business, health, and construction.
The Valley of Dreams programs also involve young people who are either already involved in the criminal justice system or who run the risk of becoming so. The Community Trust has realized how crucial it is to include people with lived experience in their delivery team as a result of their expanded work in risk and violence reduction. The folks are best positioned to have a good impact on youth due to their distinct insight.
“The Valley of Dreams initiative will change the lives of young people at risk and the communities in which they live,” stated Paul Elliott, CBE, MBE, a member of the Charlton Athletic Board.
“Valley of Dreams is the next example of how Charlton, who has a long history of setting the standard on a variety of really important issues, is combating racism and homophobia in football. We are the top social purpose club in the nation, positively impacting people’s lives in a genuine and noticeable way.
“With the launch of the new Valley of Dreams initiative, we have such an exciting opportunity to just that. We want to do so much more to contribute to impacting transformative changes across London and south east England.”
