Entain builds on Trident League partnership with new pledge

Entain has launched a new Trident Community Foundation (TCF) to provide funding and investment to community-based projects at 228 non-league football clubs.The foundation scheme forms part of Entain’s “Pitching In” campaign, in which the operator partnered with the Trident Leagues (The Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern Leagues) that make up the lower tiers of English football.As part of this latest element of the campaign, Entain has donated £150,000 to establish the TCF fund for distribution over the rest of the 2020/21 season in the form of grants.The foundation aims to create a strong sustainable community programme that will help clubs develop young talent, promote non-league football to a wider audience and attract volunteers.Aiming to make the application process as simple as possible, Entain has said that the maximum grant award from the foundation will be capped at £5,000 during the first year but could go higher in the future.“This unique and exciting partnership will provide grassroots support where it is needed most for the benefit of community-based football clubs, and the thousands of people that play for them, work for them, volunteer for them and support them,” Entain CEO Shay Segev said.“This is exactly in line with the approach we recently set out when launching our sustainability charter,” he added.Overseeing the foundation will be independent chairman David Emery, who currently serves as editor of the Non-League Paper, along with senior level figures from the Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern leagues, who will all be represented on the foundation’s board.Entain will initially have two representatives on the board, but it has said that more board members could be added in the future.In a joint statement, the three leagues said: “The Trident Leagues are delighted to see the Trident Community Fund launched.“Our clubs are at the heart of their local communities and the fund will provide them with the means to strengthen those links. No scheme is too small and we hope that as many clubs as follows take advantage of this new funding.”GVC will not advertise its brands at clubs as part of the campaign promise.