17 Jul Huddersfield Town Foundation awarded £36,000 grant from Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund to improve male heart health and obesity levels in Kirklees

Huddersfield Town Foundation has been awarded a £36,000 grant from the Sky Bet EFL Building Foundations Fund to help improve men’s heart health and reduce obesity within the Kirklees community.

The Foundation has launched the Heart of the Town initiative to help reduce health inequalities in adult males, aged 18+, across Kirklees.

Heart of the Town is a three-year initiative that aims to improve physical and mental health as well as educate individuals to help make healthier lifestyle choices.

Throughout the next three years Heart of the Town will deliver 12-week long programmes that blends physical activity with classroom-based learning opportunities.

Participants will be educated  on the importance of diet and nutrition, safe alcohol use, diabetes, weight management and mental health.

Heart of the Town will be led by Beth Cook, Senior Health and Wellbeing Manager at Huddersfield Town Foundation.

Beth believes the initiative can help improve heart age, cholesterol and BMI readings in participants and hopes it will lead to participants leading more active lifestyles over a longer term.

Bethany said: “Being awarded this funding has enabled the Foundation to develop and expand on our existing health and wellbeing offer to support our community, 

“We aim to help reduce health inequalities that pose significant risks to the wellbeing and quality of life for many in Kirklees. 

“Coronary Heart Disease is one of the biggest causes of preventable death in Kirklees, something that we know can be prevented and / or alleviated by regular participation in physical activity. 

“Through Heart of the Town, we want to address the increasing levels of adults who report as being obese and overweight in the local community by offering more opportunities to take part in regular physical activity.”

The first cohort of sessions will take place in September at Accu Stadium, Huddersfield.

The Foundation will deliver three cohorts throughout the next 12 months across Huddersfield and Dewsbury.

Huddersfield Town Foundation are one of six EFL Club Charities to receive a grant in the second phase of funding in 2025, which aims to improve the qualifty of life within communities through the access to, and quality of, football provisions and initiatives.  

The Building Foundations Fund is in its second year and represents the largest multi-year sponsor-backed fund dedicated solely to community activity and the process offers the 72 EFL clubs a chance to bid for grants of up to £100,000 to invest in ongoing programmes or to develop new initiatives.

The EFL and Sky Bet agreed a record extension last  year that saw the sports betting brand continue as the League’ title partner until the end of the 2028/29 campaign. The commitment to a community fund was an integral part of the extension agreement.

If you are interested in taking part in the Heart of the Town programme, or would like further information, please contact help@htafcfoundation.com.