The board of trustees of the UEFA Foundation for Children met by videoconference on 3 June, with the UEFA president, Aleksander Čeferin, in the chair. The board received updates on and discussed the foundation’s ongoing projects, with a special focus on the activities that will take place during the eagerly awaited UEFA EURO 2020.
Appointment of a new ambassador
Eugénie Le Sommer of Olympique Lyonnais with player escorts prior to the UEFA Women’s Champions League Final 2019 between Olympique Lyonnais and FC Barcelona at Ferencváros Stadium in Budapest, Hungary on May 18, 2019. (Photo by Brendan Moran – UEFA/UEFA via Sportsfile)
The trustees unanimously agreed to appoint Eugénie Le Sommer as the foundation’s first female ambassador. The French international and captain of the Olympique Lyonnais women’s team, Le Sommer looks forward to shining a spotlight on the foundation’s initiatives, in particular its promotion of gender equality in sport and empowerment of women. She follows in the footsteps of other international footballers such as Croatian midfielder Ivan Rakitić, who also recently became an ambassador to help promote the foundation’s work around the world.
2021 award winners
The board’s spring meeting is also when the UEFA Foundation for Children selects its annual award winners among charities and other organisations working in favour of children’s rights. Organisations are nominated by the UEFA member associations. The year, it was decided to share the total amount available (€1m) equally among 19 organisations. Each will therefore receive €52,630.
“The past year has been particularly difficult, but it is encouraging to see how the NGO partners have been able to adapt and innovate to support the growing number of children in need because of this pandemic”, says Aleksander Čeferin. “We are pleased to be able to support 19 additional organisations in Europe through the 2021 UEFA Foundation for Children award.”
List of 2021 Foundation for Children award winners:
| IOC code | UEFA member association | Award winner |
| ARM | Football Federation of Armenia (FFA) | Girls of Armenian Leadership Soccer (GOALS) |
| AZE | Association of Football Federations of Azerbaijan (AFFA) | Azerbaijan Autism Association and Care-for the healthy generation |
| BLR | Belarus Football Federation (ABFF) | international charity ‘Children. Autism. Parents.’ |
| CRO | Croatian Football Federation (HNS) | Prijatelj association for people with disabilities |
| CYP | Cyprus Football Association (CFA) | One dream, one wish’ association for children with cancer |
| DEN | Danish Football Association (DBU) | Parasport Denmark |
| ENG | English Football Association (The FA) | Football Beyond Borders |
| FRA | French Football Federation (FFF) | Comité Ethique et Sport |
| GER | German Football Association (DFB) | Agapedia Foundation |
| ISR | Israel Football Association (IFA) | Yeladim – Fair Chance for Children |
| ITA | Italian Football Federation (FIGC) | Fondazione LAPS |
| MDA | Football Association of Moldova (FMF) | Special Olympics Moldova |
| MLT | Malta Football Association (MFA) | Richmond Foundation |
| NED | Royal Netherlands Football Association (KNVB) | Jeugdfonds Sport & Cultuur (Youth Fund Sports & Culture) |
| NIR | Irish Football Association (IFA) | Irish FA Foundation |
| POL | Polish Football Association (PZPN) | Fundacja dla Dzieci z Cukrzycą (Foundation for Children with Diabetes) |
| RUS | Football Union of Russia (FUR) | Culture of Nations’ Fund for Socio-Cultural Development and Innovation |
| SUI | Swiss Football Association (SFA) | Florijana Ismaili FI9 |
| WAL | Football Association of Wales (FAW) | FAW Trust |
Call for projects 2021
The UEFA Foundation for Children’s next call for projects will be open from 28 June to 15 August 2021. Applicants from all over the world can submit their project proposals on the foundation website, where all the necessary information and the selection criteria will be published. The board of trustees will select projects and announce its decisions at its next meeting, in November.
Courtesy of UEFA
