Entain Voices

These efforts have focused on four key areas:

Responsible gambling regulation research, education and treatment; Grassroots women’s and disability sport; Men’s health, with a particular focus on mental health; Projects with a clear link to the local community in Entain’s major office locations.

These programmes are central to Entain’s approach to our communities and our people, and we are delighted to witness the development of those who have benefitted from the education and access that we have been able to facilitate through the Entain Foundation.

To shine a light on just one of our major Entain Foundation initiatives, we invited Stuart Pearce, England footballing legend and our official Pitching In ambassador, to talk about his career and how our multi-million-pound investment programme has supported and promoted grassroots sports at a time when local clubs were facing the unprecedented impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Here are a couple of the topics you can hear about in this latest podcast:

The Trident Leagues

Coming from a non-league background and rising through the ranks to play professionally in national and international competitions, Stuart Pearce was the ideal ambassador for Pitching In’s partnership with the Trident Leagues. With roots that can be traced back to the nineteenth century, the three Trident Leagues – Isthmian, Northern Premier and Southern – are at the heart of the national game with 226 clubs and 15,000 players registered, bridging the gap between professional and recreational football. Given the importance of funding for non-league football, Stuart Pearce signed up as an ambassador to encourage vitally needed financial support, as the leagues continue to cope with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic

The Importance of Volunteering

The shutdown of the Trident Leagues throughout the pandemic was a stark reminder of the important role that non-league football teams play in their local communities. A key focus of the Pitching In partnership, then, is to encourage community volunteers to do some pitching in of their own, and contribute their time and effort to their local clubs to further strengthen community ties. Given Stuart Pearce’s entry into the beautiful game and his success as he went from non-league matches to professional leagues, you never know where the next England captain will come from. Pitching In is the pathway to finding players with the same superstar potential, and volunteering for your community and local football team can be the very first step.

Happy Listening!

Enjoy the podcast?

Head over to Spotify to find other Entain Voices from our colleagues all around the world.