Sir Stanley Matthews Foundation
Our
Story
Sir Stanley Matthews was one of the greatest footballers England has ever produced. Known as the 'Wizard of the Dribble', he was the Lionel Messi of his day, a superstar who could add an extra 10,000 spectators to a match just by showing up. He played for Stoke City and Blackpool, as well as England, where he was crowned as the first winner of the Ballon D'Or and also received a knighthood whilst still playing. He retired from playng professional football aged 53 and spent the rest of his life travelling the world helping young people play sport, by setting up coaching academies and camps across the UK and overseas. The Foundation was established to carry on Sir Stanley's legacy and to provide opportunities for children and young people through the platform of sport.
Our Focus
As a Foundation, our objective is to serve three distinct groups, specifically children and young people affected by:
Poverty
Our focus has been to deliver training sessions within the U.K. and overseas either for free or at a subsidised rate to ensure that children and young people aren'r excluded from sport because of fonancial hardship
Conflict/Trauma
Since our formation we have delivered training sessions to those who have suffered from trauma or who have been effected by conflict. Our current focus is on providing sports sessions for girls rescued from human traffickers in India and former child soldiers in Uganda
Disability
We have been involved in providing sports sessions for children with disabilities for many years, including delivering football training for children with Down Syndrome in London and bespoke sessions for young people with acquired brain injury in Surrey