Football Beyond Borders & Impetus

The need: More than 9,000 young people were permanently excluded in the UK in 2023. Only around 5% of excluded young people pass their GCSEs in English and maths. There is strong evidence to suggest that Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) interventions can promote the development of social and emotional skills, which lead to gains in academic performance.

Our portfolio partner: Football Beyond Borders uses football to support young people who are disengaged or at risk of exclusion from school to gain the qualifications and skills they need to successfully transition to adulthood. Their four-year programme drives SEL through classroom-based group work, one-to-one therapeutic mentoring, and pitch-based football sessions, ultimately improving engagement and achievement at school.

Our impact: We’ve worked with Football Beyond Borders to further refine their impact management and evaluation practice, developing innovative methodologies to further understand and demonstrate their impact on young people. We have also supported the delivery and refinement of their current strategy, which aims to improve outcomes for many more young people by working with pastoral staff in the school system, alongside their direct programming.

We’re thrilled to join Impetus at this exciting stage of our journey. They are the perfect partner who through long-term targeted support and expertise can improve our impact and bolster our capacity.

Jack Reynolds, Co-founder and CEO, Football Beyond Borders