Brentford FC Community Sports Trust and Partners Are Changing The Game With New Community Development Apprenticeship

As part of National Apprenticeship Week 2026, Brentford FC Community Sports Trust (Brentford FCCST) is bringing partners together at St George’s Park for a national roundtable delivered through the Changing the Game Apprenticeship Programme, to explore how apprenticeships can play a vital role in tackling shared challenges.

As someone deeply invested in social mobility and apprenticeships, I’ve been privileged to witness first hand how apprenticeships can serve as powerful vehicles for change both from first hand experience at 16 and the last 11 years working in the apprenticeship and skills sector. On Tuesday 10 February 2026, Brentford FCCST and partners are hosting a strategic roundtable at St George’s Park to share insights on how the Changing The Game apprenticeship is responding to workforce development needs for the community sector and explore new opportunities within football club charities and beyond.

Changing the Game is a trailblazing apprenticeship programme developed by Brentford FCCST in collaboration with football club charities across the country. The programme is delivered and assessed in partnership with COPA and Gateway Qualifications.

The course was designed in response to the workforce needs of the sector and has a long-term vision to create sustainable employment opportunities for people within our communities.

Addressing National Issues

In the UK, 946,000 people aged 16 to 24 were NEET in July to September 2025, which was 12.7% of all people in this age group.

Changing The Game aims to address this issue and has supported by the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) throughout two years of development, with the first cohort of 35 trainees attending a launch event in October 2025 and learning and development beginning in December 2025.

While the programme has been piloted with football club charities, the apprenticeship is not just for football its sectors working within communities. Changing The Game partners are committed to developing community professionals who will gain a Level 4 Community Development Professional qualification, equipping them with the skills and knowledge to grow their impact in communities across the country.

Apprenticeship Levy Gifting

Apprenticeship levy gifting has been instrumental in making the Changing The Game proof of concept possible, demonstrating how underspent levy funds can be redirected to unlock high-quality training and long-term community impact.

Chelsea Football Club have provided over £190,000 in apprenticeship levy funding alongside Brentford Football Club, totalling six football club charities. This commitment has enabled football club charities, many of whom do not pay the levy themselves, to access sustainability-focused apprenticeships that would otherwise be out of reach. Followed by Brentford Football Club FC also providing £80,000 worth of levy gifting to support the first cohort.

The levy gifting service supporting Changing The Game is drawing on our teams years of experience delivering robust levy transfer intermediary programmes that have helped thousands of SMEs and community organisations access transformational apprenticeship opportunities.

Going Beyond Corporate Social Responsibility

While corporate social responsibility is at the heart of the Changing the Game concept, built around this is masterclasses that align with wider national priorities around skills, inclusion, and progression, and the apprenticeship educates people on how they can make a difference in communities.

Lee Doyle, CEO and Founder of Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, said,

“Changing the Game is designed to prepare developing social entrepreneurs to harness their creative responses to community need, building sustainable delivery models that create maximum social impact.

Premier League and PFA funding have enabled us to develop the programme. Throughout the process we have been joined by a number of impressive organisations and individuals. Masterclasses built around a Corporate Social Responsibility model will ensure that we keep the programme vibrant and engaging. We are looking forward to the first apprentices residential at St George’s Park, supported by a roundtable set to discuss the expansion of the apprenticeship programme. The bottom line is that candidates will earn while they learn and tuition fees are supported by the partners – a win-win!”

Alex White, Premier League Foundation Chief Executive, said,

“Changing the Game represents the kind of bold, community driven innovation we are proud to champion. Through the partnership between Brentford FC Community Sports Trust, fellow football club charities, and sport for development experts, this programme invests directly in the people making the greatest difference on the ground. With the support of the Premier League and the PFA, Changing the Game is helping to build a skilled, confident and future focused workforce equipped to tackle real community challenges. Most importantly, it empowers the next generation of leaders to use the power of football to inspire positive change in their local communities.”

Gareth James, Managing Director of COPA, said,

“COPA is one of the largest apprenticeship providers of active leisure courses in the UK. We’re excited to be working Brentford FC, with support from the Premier League, Premier League Foundation and the Professional Footballers’ Association. Apprenticeships are essential for the sports sector, the practical learning they offer is invaluable to both learners and employers.”

Scott Price, Learning and Development Business Partner at Chelsea FC, said,

“Chelsea Football Club is proud to support this programme, which will help to expand access to high-quality apprenticeships both in football and beyond. Apprenticeships can unlock potential and provide opportunity where it’s most needed. We’re delighted to see the progress made so far and look forward to the continued impact this programme will deliver.”

Fabienne Bailey, CEO of Gateway Qualifications, said,

“We are proud to be the End-point Assessment organisation supporting Brentford FCCST and Copa through the Changing the Game apprenticeship. The programme brings training, sustainability and community impact together by embedding the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Practitioner Apprenticeship into real‑world roles, giving the next generation of community development professionals the skills, confidence and purpose to create lasting change where it matters most.”

George Greaves, Director of Greaves Education said,

“At Greaves Education, we’re proud to support the Changing the Game programme alongside all the partners Brentford FCCST, COPA and Gateway Qualifications. Having been involved from the very earliest conversations through to the launch of this first cohort over the past three years, it’s inspiring to see the programme come to life and what we truly believe is the start of a movement for the sector and foundation for all sectors working within communities.”

Changing the Game Partners:

Supported by: 

• Premier League Foundation 
• Premier League
• Professional Footballers’ Association. 

Delivery stakeholders: 

• COPA 
• Brentford Community Sports Trust 
• Gateway Qualifications 
  Greaves Education
  PFP Thrive

Football club charities part of the pilot cohort:

• Liverpool FC Foundation

• Brentford Community Sports Trust

• Huddersfield Town Foundation

• Manchester United Foundation

• Chelsea FC Foundation

• Leyton Orient Trust

• Sutton United Foundation

• The Albion Foundation (West Bromwich Albion)

• Wolves Foundation

• Burton Albion Community Trust

• Chesterfield Community Sports Trust

I believe initiatives like “Changing The Game” are vital to ensuring that apprenticeships remain relevant, impactful, and inclusive while creating the skills for the future. They remind us that the power of sport extends far beyond the pitch, it’s a catalyst for change, a builder of skills, and a bridge to opportunity. Welcome Video to Changing The Game