NFL Foundation UK and the Leeds United Foundation, NFL UK’s and Leeds United Football Club’s respective charitable arms, and NFL franchise San Francisco 49ers, announced the Unlocking Potential programme, which aims to provide greater access to educational and sporting pathways for marginalised young people in Leeds across the next three years.

NFL Foundation UK which has already developed projects in London, Greater Manchester and Birmingham, will now provide NFL Flag programmes with the partners to local community charities and schools in Leeds. With joint grant funding, the project seeks to tackle inequality and barriers to sport and deliver positive outcomes for young people ranging from improving their physical and mental wellbeing through increasing opportunities to education and employment.

The programme will be introduced to over 1,000 boys and girls aged 11-20 in primary and secondary schools in the first year, plus colleges and community groups in the local areas of Leeds, including Beeston, Hunslet, Holbeck and Chapeltown. Beneficiaries will receive training and equipment, alongside a variety of educational workshops, plus NFL themed events and flag football programmes all hosted at Elland Road. The ambition is to reach 3,000 participants by year three.

To mark the launch, the partners hosted an event on Tuesday 16th July at Leeds United Centenary Pavilion and local community pitch, Beggars Hill. The event featured 120 young people from three local schools participating in flag football workshops and team building exercises, designed as an introduction to the sport. Participants met with former 49ers player, Jesse Sapolu and received merchandise from Elms Marketing to provide long-lasting memories.

Henry Hodgson, General Manager, NFL UK, said: “We are delighted to partner with Leeds United and San Francisco 49ers to expand the NFL Foundation UK’s reach into Leeds as part of our commitment to supporting communities and helping to address inequality in society through the power of sport and education.

“The delivery of NFL Flag programmes London, Birmingham and Manchester to date have been successful in connecting with underrepresented groups to help young people get active, and we are excited about the potential to further impact the lives of youngsters in Leeds.”

Frances Milner, Chief Executive Officer, Leeds United Foundation, said: “We are excited to be partnering on such a collaborative and impactful initiative with the San Francisco 49ers and NFL Foundation UK, that will increase opportunities for young people within underserved communities in Leeds to engage in a new sport, alongside programmes to increase their physical and mental wellbeing and provide further access to education and employment opportunities.

“The aim of Unlocking Potential will be to work with a diverse group of children, young people and young adults across three targeted areas over the next three years, to ultimately get them on the path to fulfilling their potential.”

Justin Prettyman, Executive Director, 49ers Foundation, said, “We couldn’t be happier to be kicking off a new partnership between three global brands that share the common goal of providing youth of all kinds with access to flag football.”

“Our long track record of community impact in the Bay Area stems from an organizational emphasis on giving back to communities that support us. The Leeds community has welcomed us with open arms, so we are proud to be expanding our philanthropic efforts to Leeds with the help of the NFL Foundation UK and the Leeds United Foundation.”

The NFL Foundation UK launched in 2021 as part of the NFL’s international charitable endeavours and in partnership with the Mayor of London’s ‘Sport Unites’ fund that saw the duo commit a combined £1 million to deliver NFL Foundation UK’s work in the capital.

Flag football is one of the fastest growing sports globally, empowering youth athletes around the world and instilling a lifelong passion for the game. The non-contact format is fun, exciting, fast and accessible for all, with women and girls driving some of the fastest growth. It provides a structured opportunity for young people to play the game whilst discovering the importance of sportsmanship, teamwork and friendship both on and off the field.

Empowering youth to inspire brighter futures using the power of sport to reach communities, flag football has proven to be a strong engagement tool with diverse and undeserved groups. Flag football is currently played by more than 20 million people in more than 100 countries, by all ages and genders. Currently 60,000 young people from over 650 schools play the sport in the UK.

The growth of the game follows flag football’s inclusion in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games — driven by the International Federation of American Football (IFAF) and supported by the league.

To find out more information on the NFL Foundation UK, San Francisco 49ers and Leeds United Foundation, please visit, https://www.nflfoundationuk.org/, https://www.49ers.com/foundation/ and https://www.leedsunited.com/foundation.