West Ham United has celebrated the one-year anniversary of the Players’ Project. 

The Project has been hailed as the most ambitious community programme ever created by a Premier League Club, where players from the men’s, women’s and Academy teams have given over 300 hours of community time, directly working with over 2,000 people from the local community over this last year alone.

The Players’ Project, split into 11 strands, delivers over 30 programmes that span health, education, community initiatives and football development, which engage with up to 50,000 people per year. 

West Ham United is committed to diversity and equality and raising awareness of issues throughout society.

The Club has been awarded an Intermediate Equality Standard by the Premier League and is currently working towards Advanced level.

West Ham regularly engage and deliver in conjunction with external campaign organisations such as Stonewall, Show Racism the Red Card and Kick It Out.

The Club has also put in place a comprehensive programme of staff equality training.

Through the Disabled Supporters’ Board, the Club consults with fans who have accessibility needs and makes London Stadium matchdays accessible for all.

West Ham United is committed to reducing our environmental impact. Alongside the Premier League and Sky’s Ocean Rescue campaign, we worked with the Stadium to trial reusable beer cups, saving around 20,000 single-use plastic cups from landfill at each of the four games. We are pleased to say that the Club and venue are working on a scheme to permanently provide reusable cups at London Stadium.

The Stadium is also a zero-waste venue, which uses renewable energy sources, and encourages public transport. It is the best-connected stadium in London, with Stratford and Stratford International stations servicing more than 42.7 million people annually along nine major lines.

West Ham United is committed to helping both staff and people from across the community learn, through a variety of initiatives, as research shows lower levels of educational achievement can have a negative impact on an individual’s engagement with society.

The Club has helped 1,000 students who have been involved in our Post 16 programme, combining football and studying, with 50% from Newham.

West Ham United has also put on 150 PL Primary Stars workshops, with 77 teachers also attending a six week mentoring programme.

West Ham United’s move to London Stadium in summer 2016 has given the Club the opportunity to create thousands of jobs for local people and support social mobility across East London and Essex. Independent research has showed that the Club has created more than 3,300 jobs regionally.

More than 2,000 people are employed at London Stadium in full and part-time positions and the Club is an accredited London Living Wage employer ensuring all employees received the London Living Wage.

In addition, The Club has over 200 current and former apprentices.

With 390 young people from a wide range of backgrounds engaged in the Foundation’s Employability Pathway and Leadership Through Sport and Business Programme, West Ham United is helping build successful careers.

West Ham United’s Any Old Irons project has engaged more than 300 local residents over the age of 65, helping them to make new friends and share stories and experiences in the company of each other and former players.

The scheme was introduced by the Foundation to help combat loneliness among the elderly, with the east London Boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets among the bottom ten local authority areas in England and Wales in that area.

The Club is also working to combat loneliness among first-year university students who may feel isolated after leaving home for the first time.

With the east London Boroughs of Newham and Tower Hamlets experiencing significant problems with poverty, West Ham United is working hard to support local people in need.

The Club’s Holiday Hunger programme provides healthy meals for children at risk of going hungry and workshops for parents and children providing information about how live healthier lifestyles.

The Hammers also work with charities including Crisis and CGL (Change, Grow, Live) Newham Rise to combat issues such as homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse.

West Ham United is committed to helping local organisations to thrive. The Club wants to help deliver the Olympic Legacy, regeneration in Newham, and improve standards of living to creating a flourishing economy. This will deliver opportunities, support our community, and help us to provide employability and career pathways.

West Ham United’s community programmes have helped nearly 40,000 people from across east London lead healthier lifestyles.

With the London Borough of Newham being home to the lowest proportion of physically-active adults of any local authority area in England – 44.8 per cent achieve 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week – the Club has introduced the award-winning 150Club to get local people of all ages up and about and reduce their risk of developing illnesses such as diabetes.

West Ham United are committed to working to reduce anti-social behaviour and improving the prospects of young people from across east London.

Working in conjunction with the Premier League, the Moore Family Foundation and other organisations, the Club has assisted thousands of youngsters.

More than 5,000 schoolchildren have received life-changing mentority from the Moore Family Foundation, while more than 450 youngsters take part in the Premier League Kicks scheme every week.

The Club is committed to delivering the Olympic legacy and wants to provide local people with the opportunity to participate and progress, no matter their level or ambition. The Club has the platform to support opportunities and pathways through sport.

With the Foundation's Beckton hub providing first-class facilities - and a new 3G pitch opened in 2017 by Vice-Chairman Karen Brady the jewel in its crown - local people can experience sport throughout the year. Meanwhile, at school, 5-11 year-olds are inspired by the Primary Stars programme.

The Second Chance Learning Academy and Newham Athletic Network offers youngsters a pathway to careers in elite sport, and the Academy of Football’s Development Pathway offers young boys and girls in football the same opportunities to reach the top of the sport.

For the older generation, walking football, which is showcased before every home game at the London Marathon Community Track, gives the chance to take up sport and improve health once again.

The Club also offers tens of thousands of free tickets to Newham residents, enabling people from all backgrounds to enjoy Premier League football together.

Uniting our local communities is at the heart of the Players’ Project aims. The Project is part of our commitment to creating opportunities, delivering a sporting legacy and changing lives in our community.