As the Premier League Foundation celebrates its 15-year anniversary, we take a look at how it was formed as well as the key moments that have shaped its growth.
1986: Back to the beginning
The Football League and Professional Footballers' Association launch 'Football in the Community', designed to use football to address social issues such as unemployment, urban decay and football hooliganism by strengthening ties between clubs and their local communities.
1992: A new chapter in English football
Featuring 22 clubs, the inaugural Premier League campaign starts on 15 August 1992.
2000: The Football Foundation
The Premier League, The FA and the Government launch the Football Foundation, with an ambition to give every community a great place to play and offering community delivery grants. The administration of grants for community delivery was subsequently taken over by the Premier League Charitable Fund.
To date, more than £1.3bn has been invested into grassroots facilities thanks to the Football Foundation, improving more than 14,700 grass pitches and 1,270 3G pitches.
2000: Rejuvenating facilities
Since its launch in 2000, the Premier League Stadium Fund has supported more than 1,000 lower league clubs to improve their facilities across 100+ leagues.
2001: Helping to develop a love of reading
The Premier League and National Literacy Trust come together to inspire children to enjoy reading from a young age. Today, the National Literacy Trust works with the Premier League and Premier League Foundation to support Premier League Primary Stars delivery, including the development of education resources, author events and training for club charity staff.
2006: Premier League Kicks is born
In partnership with the Metropolitan Police, Association of Chief Police Officers and Home Office, Premier League Kicks is launched to create safer and more inclusive communities.
The charitable arms of Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City, Fulham and Brentford pilot Premier League Kicks in their local areas. In 2025, 93 football club charities and 43 police deliver the programme while more than 600,000 young people have benefitted to date.
2007: Stars back Premier League Creating Chances
William Gallas, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Dirk Kuyt help launch Creating Chances, a showcase of the huge amount of positive work that top-flight football does in the community and for good causes and charities.
2007: International community development
The Premier League partners with the British Council to create Premier Skills, which empowers football coaches to support children and young people in marginalised communities in 29 countries.
2007: Premier League and Professional Footballers' Association join forces
The partnership aims to tackle inequalities and respond to local need in communities across England and Wales. Today, projects made possible thanks to the Premier League and PFA Players' Fund have engaged more than 250,000 participants in more than 350,000 sessions.
"We want to build a bridge between current and former players and show the important role that we play in the community. We can share the valuable lessons we've learned as players and hopefully that can build a better community for the football club."
Fabrice Muamba, former Arsenal, Birmingham City and Bolton Wanderers midfielder
2008: Premier League Enterprise begins
The precursor to today's Premier League Inspires programme, Premier League Enterprise and associated Premier League Enterprise Challenge, delivered in partnership with Sport Relief and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, created opportunities for more than 35,000 young people at risk of not achieving their potential.
"It's not all about the football. I've learned how to write a pitch, come up with an idea and work with people as a team. It's been one of the best experiences I've ever had."
Lily, Premier League Enterprise participant, Foundation of Light
2010: Premier League Charitable Fund launches
The Premier League Charitable Fund distributed £3.3m of Premier League funding to 43 football club charities in the first year, with the aim of creating positive sporting, health, personal and education opportunities for children, young people and the wider community.
2011: Looking after men's wellbeing
Together with the National Lottery, Premier League Health was a men's wellbeing intervention that used professional football clubs to engage hard-to-reach men with unhealthy lifestyles.
Today, the Premier League Foundation continues to support mental health and wellbeing initiatives for all.
2011: Premier League Players' Kit Scheme introduced
In the first application window, 350 free kits were awarded to grassroots clubs, schools and youth organisations. Premier League Players' Kit Scheme grants of up to £500 were awarded through an open application process with a total of £2.13m distributed between 2011 and 2018.
In 2024 the scheme returned, providing over 4,000 sets of free girls' football kits to primary schools.
2012: Premier League 4 Sport programme smashes engagement targets
The London 2012 Olympic legacy programme, which began in 2009, gave young people the opportunity to engage in 12 different sports.
The partnership between the Premier League, Sport England, the Youth Sports Trust and Department for Culture, Media and Sport was seen as the blueprint for creating community sport clubs on school and community sites.
2013: Supporting young people into employment
The Barclays Premier League Works continued the Premier League's long-term commitment to supporting young people into education, employment and training.
The partnership with Barclays ended in August 2016 with the programme continuing as Premier League Works for three more seasons, with a further £2.8m investment.
2013: Inspiring the next generation of female footballers
The Premier League joins The FA, Sport England and EFL in the Community to provide more opportunities for women and girls to play.
More than 20,000 girls and young women aged 14-25 were engaged in the first year of Premier League Girls.
2014: Working with the police to build safer communities
The Premier League Charitable Fund joins forces with the Mayor's Office for Policing and Crime and West Midlands Police to tackle youth violence and improve community safety in London and the West Midlands, through Premier League Kicks.
Between 2014 and 2022, the Metropolitan Police, West Midlands and South Yorkshire police forces invested over £1m in regional Premier League Kicks activity to help build stronger, safer communites.
2016: Premier League Kicks teams up with BBC Children in Need
This partnership led to the formation of Premier League Kicks Targeted, an early intervention programme that delivered referral-based activity with young people at risk of youth violence.
Today, learnings from the programme have been incorporated into Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires.
2016: Launch of Premier League and BT Disability Programme
The three-year programme created more opportunities for people with disabilities to access sport in their local communities.
By September 2019, these disability initiatives were embedded into every Premier League-funded community programme with annual Premier League Disability Football Festivals organised by the Premier League Charitable Fund from 2022.
"I have Perthes Disease so my leg has been shrinking and my bones have have been softening. I've walked with a limp all of my life. I would get judged and that would give me anxiety.
"You may have judged me then, but I've got a lot better, my self-confidence has risen and I'm now here playing for a Premier League club. It's like a dream come true."
Jack, Premier League Disability Festival participant, Leeds United Foundation
2017: Super Movers gets children moving
The Premier League's partnership with the BBC helped primary school teachers incorporate movement into lessons to boost engagement and concentration. Over 100 free online resources were made available to give children the opportunity to move while learning.
Super Movers activity and content was made available to all club charities via the Premier League Charitable Fund through Premier League Primary Stars.
The second iteration, Super Movers for Every Body, launched in 2024 and involved ParalympicsGB. It encouraged every primary school pupil to take part in inclusive activities.
2017: Premier League Primary Stars begins
Jose Mourinho and Theo Walcott went back to school to help launch the Premier League's primary school education programme, which uses the appeal of football to support children in the classroom, the playground and on the sports field.
More than £73m has been invested into communities through Premier League Primary Stars to 2025, with a further £23.5m committed to 2028.
"I've really enjoyed working with Chelsea on Premier League Primary Stars. I have changed a lot. My lessons are better and so is my concentration. They have supported me and encouraged me and I have a lot more confidence now."
Ruby, Premier League Primary Stars participant, Chelsea FC Foundation
2019: Capability Code of Practice introduced
The Code builds on the previous Capability Status, first introduced in 2011, and reflects the Premier League Charitable Fund's commitment to continuous development.
Developed with the British Standards Institute, it helps ensure professional football club charities meet the highest standards in governance and delivery.
2019: Young people commit to Protect the Planet
The Protect the Planet initiative launches in partnership with the #iwill Fund, engaging young people in climate change-themed social action projects delivered through Premier League Primary Stars, Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires.
2019: Premier League Inspires launches
Eight clubs were involved in the launch and today, 54 clubs deliver the programme, supporting more than 40,000 young people at risk of not reaching their potential to develop the personal skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life.
"Without Premier League Inspires I wouldn't have done my BTEC or degree. The programme is my baseline, where my career started.
"It's made me what I am today and the future is a lot more positive now. It's one of the best things that someone can do."
Tom O'Dell, City in the Community outreach coach and former Premier League Inspires participant
2020: COVID-19 pandemic forces the country into lockdown
While on-pitch action was suspended, the Premier League, the Premier League Charitable Fund and clubs stepped up to provide vital support for those in need and their local communities.
This work included Premier League Primary Stars weekly challenges, the delivery of food parcels and prescriptions, outreach for isolated fans and donating the use of facilities to NHS staff and as testing centres.
2020: Premier League Charitable Fund turns 10
With a milestone 1.5 million unique participants reached, more than 100 club charities up and down the country recognise the people who made a positive impact in their local community over the previous decade.
2021: Premier League Changemakers launches
Today, the leadership activity - certified by the United Nations Institute for Training and Research - delivered through Premier League Kicks and Premier League Inspires, is in its fourth delivery year.
It has helped more than 1,600 girls and young women develop confidence and leadership skills so far.
2023: Premier League Fans Fund strengthens the connection between fans, clubs and communities
Taken on by the Premier League Charitable Fund in 2023, the fund complements the new Fans Engagement Standard.
Since 2023, £5m of Premier League funding has been awarded for 114 fan-led projects across the Premier League, EFL, Women's Super League and Women's Championship.
2023: A Premier League Kicks milestone
Former Manchester United defender and Mayor of Great Manchester Andy Burnham are the special guests at a Premier League Kicks regional tournament which marks one million hours of Premier League Kicks delivery.
In 2026, the League's inspirational community programme will mark 20 years of supporting young people to reach their potential in some of the most high-need areas of England and Wales.
"It's incredible witnessing what the Premier League Kicks programme has done and how it engages young people. You never know what any of these kids are going through at home or what their environment is, but here feels like family."
Idris Elba, actor, filmmaker and activist
2024: Inaugural Premier League More Than A Game campaign
More Than A Game celebrates the impact of Premier League investment into communities and football.
As part of this celebration, more than 100 club charities name a Community Captain, someone at the heart of their Premier-League funded programmes who is recognised for their contribution to the game and society.
"Receiving the award was surprising and amazing. It was a bit emotional understanding what people think of me. When you mentor a young person you can then see their effect on the world.
"They're going to get older, they could make a difference, bigger than you know."
Arran Johny, West Ham Foundation coach 2025 Premier League More Than A Game Community Captain
2024: Premier League Charitable Fund partners with the National Police Chiefs' Council
The partnership ensures every club charity is working with their local police force to build safer communities.
"I am delighted that we have a long-established relationship with the Premier League Foundation. The opportunities it provides for communities, especially young people, is unrivalled.
"It builds confidence, develops life skills and opens essential opportunities for meeting new people and learning from each other. It is absolutely incredible"
Catherine Roper, Wiltshire Police Constable and NPCC Lead for Children and Young People
2025: Creating life-changing opportunities
With more than 2.5 million participants reached so far, the Premier League Foundation has engaged with enough people in England and Wales to fill all Premier League and EFL club stadiums to capacity and Wembley four times over.
2025: Supporting the people that make change happen
Today, more than £7.5m from the Premier League and PFA is invested annually through infrastructure grants to club charities and support underpins a 7,400-strong workforce across Premier League, EFL and National League club charities.
2025 and beyond: Investing in communities
Annual investment into communities via the Premier League Charitable Fund has almost quadrupled in a decade, with the Premier League committing more than £35m each year and over £425m since the charity's formation in 2010 up to 2028.
Premier League Foundation
New name. New look.
Same commitment to people of all ages and communities across England and Wales.
Today, the Premier League Foundation is one of the world's largest sporting charities, with Premier League success enabling sustained investment to support community impact.
We'll keep using the power of football to tackle inequalities, raise aspirations and empower millions more young people to reach their potential.