FM Conway sponsors street soccer program

FM Conway has taken on the lead role as headline sponsor for The Big Goal, a national funding drive launched by the Street Soccer Foundation. This program targets homeless and at-risk youth, using football as a tool for positive change.

The Big Goal seeks to unite businesses to create valuable opportunities for disadvantaged youth, helping them build self-confidence, develop essential skills, and move towards employment, education, and independent living.

Transforming Lives Through Football

Central to this initiative are the Street Soccer Academies, which use football to engage young individuals and provide mentorship, educational resources, employability assistance, and wellbeing support. For many participants, the benefits extend beyond the pitch, cultivating self-belief and enhancing skills.

Since becoming the Street Soccer Foundation’s first corporate sponsor in 2016, FM Conway’s support has been instrumental in expanding the Academy program, reaching thousands of vulnerable young people. Over the past decade, the collaboration has transitioned from supporting individual academies to driving broader industry change.

Expanding the Initiative

During the 2025–26 season alone, FM Conway sponsored 10 Street Soccer Academy groups across various regions, assisting 82 young people and delivering approximately 480 hours of education and mentoring. Remarkably, over 80% of those completing the program progressed into further education, employment, or training.

Under a new agreement, FM Conway plans to sponsor up to 12 Street Soccer Academies for the 2026/27 season while assuming the role of headline construction sector sponsor for The Big Goal. The construction industry is identified as a natural partner in this mission, providing meaningful career paths and long-term job prospects for young individuals.

Industry Partnership

Keith Mabbutt, Founder and CEO of the Street Soccer Foundation, stated, “This partnership shows what’s possible when a business commits for the long term rather than the short campaign. FM Conway backed us before we had a track record, and that early belief has helped us grow from a Kent pilot into a national programme working with some of the biggest clubs in English football.”

Matt Smith, Managing Director at FM Conway, echoed this sentiment, saying, “We have seen first-hand the difference the Street Soccer Foundation can make in a young person’s life. It is about much more than football – it creates an environment where people can build confidence, develop skills, and begin to see new possibilities for their future.”