The Players Foundation
The Players Foundation is a UK-registered charity (est. 2013) that provides free welfare rights, financial education, debt, and hardship support — plus targeted grants — to current and former professional footballers, distributing programmes via Beneficiary Liaison Officers and partnerships with the PFA, EFL, and LFE.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersLiverpool, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What The Players Foundation does
The Players Foundation is a UK-registered charity (charity number 1150458, founded 2013) headquartered in Liverpool that delivers free welfare, financial, and hardship support services to current and former professional footballers and scholars. Its service stack is organized around four core advisory lines — welfare rights advice, financial education, and debt/financial hardship support — supplemented by targeted grant programmes including Winter Fuel (£1,500 per qualifying applicant), Family Support, Student Living Expenses, Summer Holiday Essentials (over £130,000 distributed to nearly 100 ex-players in the most recent cycle), Educational Resources, and Cost of Living grants, plus a specialized Neurodegenerative Support offering delivered with DISC Dementia Support. The Foundation also operates MyProPlan, a digital financial education tool covering budgeting, saving, investing, and debt management, and distributes over 500 items of football memorabilia housed at the National Football Museum as part of a Hall of Fame partnership.
Its business model is non-commercial: all services and grants are provided at no cost to qualifying beneficiaries, with funding derived from charitable donations, trustee-led governance, and ecosystem partnerships. Distribution runs through self-serve online and PDF applications, direct outreach by Beneficiary Liaison Officers (ex-professionals such as Rob Milsom and Simon Haworth), and referrals from the Professional Footballers' Association, former player associations, EFL clubs, and partners including League Football Education and the National Football Museum. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees under a recently renewed leadership team — CEO David Harrison (appointed January 2026) and Chair Gareth Farrelly (elected July 2026, succeeding Brendon Batson OBE) — with operating geographies limited to the United Kingdom and a one-off US development programme via the LFE partnership.
The Players Foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Players Foundation
- Legal name
- The Players Foundation
- Website
- https://theplayersfoundation.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Players Foundation is a UK-registered charity (est. 2013) that provides free welfare rights, financial education, debt, and hardship support — plus targeted grants — to current and former professional footballers, distributing programmes via Beneficiary Liaison Officers and partnerships with the PFA, EFL, and LFE.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Players Foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Charitable Welfare Services for Professional Footballers
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support) (MPAKAKAK)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Cause, Community & CSR-Linked Sports Partnerships (Foundations, Youth Programs) (MPAKALAJ)
Keywords
Where The Players Foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Liverpool
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Players Foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels8 records
The Players Foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Players Foundation is an independent registered charity that delivers free welfare rights advice, benefits assessments, financial education, and debt management support to current and former professional footballers and scholars in charitable need. It supplements these services with a suite of hardship grant programmes (Winter Fuel, Summer Holiday Essentials, Family Support, Student Living Expenses, Educational Resources, Cost of Living, Christmas Food) and specialised Neurodegenerative Support, all provided at no cost to qualifying beneficiaries across the UK.
Product overview
The Players Foundation operates as a single integrated charity offering a comprehensive range of support services to current and former professional footballers and scholars. The core offerings include welfare rights advice, financial education, and debt management support, delivered through both direct services and grant programs. The Foundation's Game Changing Support initiative coordinates fixed-term targeted campaigns including Winter Fuel Support, Christmas Food Support, Family Support, Student Living Expense Grants, Summer Holiday Essentials Grants, Educational Resources Grants, and Cost of Living Grants. Additionally, the Foundation provides specialized Neurodegenerative Support and a digital financial education tool called MyProPlan. All services are delivered through a centralized application process with grants awarded to beneficiaries meeting qualifying criteria.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Welfare Rights Advice
Quantifiable outcome
- More than £130,000 distributed to nearly 100 ex-players through Summer Holiday Essentials fund
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use The Players Foundation
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
The Players Foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
The Players Foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- League Football Education (LFE)coreThe Players Foundation partnered with LFE to support academy graduates through the Global Showcase and Development Programme in the USA. Twenty EFL academy graduates participated in a 10-day experience in Tampa Bay, Florida, offering career development opportunities and sustainable routes for those not offered professional contracts.
- National Football MuseumcoreThe Players Foundation partnered with the National Football Museum to support the new Hall of Fame gallery celebrating English football legends. The Foundation's collection of 500+ football memorabilia items are housed and exhibited by the museum. The partnership also includes supporting the Hall of Fame induction ceremonies.
- DISC Dementia SupportcoreDISC Dementia Support provides training and support for dementia-related needs. The Foundation uses DISC services to assess dementia needs and issues among beneficiaries, including training sessions at clubs like Stockport County FC and providing compassionate communication guidance for carers.
- The Professional Footballers' AssociationcoreThe PFA is a key partner in referring beneficiaries to The Players Foundation. Former PFA members who become involved with the Foundation are acknowledged for their trade union membership. The Foundation works collaboratively with PFA to ensure ex-players receive appropriate support.
- Everton in the CommunityminorDavid Harrison, as former Director of Football Operations at Everton, was involved with the club's official charity Everton in the Community, part of the Toffees' leadership team overseeing the move to Hill Dickinson stadium.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Players Foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- FIFPro: Global representative body for professional footballers with welfare and player-rights mandates. Comparable in mission (supporting professional footballers) but international in scope rather than UK-only charitable delivery.
- League Football Education (LFE): UK educational body for EFL academy players, including personal development and post-academy pathways. A documented strategic partner of The Players Foundation with overlapping beneficiary focus on academy and released players.
- National Football Museum: England's national museum of football, housing The Players Foundation's 500+ memorabilia collection and partnering on Hall of Fame induction. Adjacent (cultural/heritage) rather than directly competitive, but operates in the same football-community stakeholder ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Premier League Charitable Fund: The charitable vehicle of the Premier League funding community and education programmes across top-flight clubs. Operates in the same football-charity ecosystem with broader, community-level scope rather than individual ex-player welfare.
- EFL Trust: The charitable arm of the English Football League delivering community programmes across EFL clubs. Comparable in football-charity positioning, but operates at league/club-community level rather than the Foundation's individual-player welfare focus.
Direct peers
- Switch the Play Foundation: UK-registered charity focused on supporting athletes (including footballers) through career transition, education, and post-career planning. Highly comparable mission and beneficiary profile, with overlapping service lines in transition support and education grants.
- SportsAid: UK charity supporting young British athletes via grants and personal development. Comparable charitable model targeting UK athletes, with similar fundraising/grantmaking mechanics and a focus on hardship and education support.
- Scottish Football Association Trust: The charitable arm of the Scottish FA supporting Scottish football communities, including welfare-related work for players. Comparable as a national football-body charitable vehicle serving a similar player constituency.
- British Athletes Commission: UK body advocating for and supporting the welfare, education, and post-career transition of British athletes across sports. Directly comparable mission in athlete welfare, education, and post-career support.
- Professional Footballers' Association (PFA): The UK trade union and charitable body representing current and former professional footballers. Directly comparable as it serves the same beneficiary population, operates welfare and hardship support functions, and is itself a referral partner to The Players Foundation.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Players Foundation social profiles
Digital presenceThe Players Foundation compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
The Players Foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Players Foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
The Players Foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Players Foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Players Foundation
What does The Players Foundation do?
The Players Foundation is an independent registered charity that delivers free welfare rights advice, benefits assessments, financial education, and debt management support to current and former professional footballers and scholars in charitable need. It supplements these services with a suite of hardship grant programmes (Winter Fuel, Summer Holiday Essentials, Family Support, Student Living Expenses, Educational Resources, Cost of Living, Christmas Food) and specialised Neurodegenerative Support, all provided at no cost to qualifying beneficiaries across the UK.
Is The Players Foundation a public or private company?
The Players Foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Players Foundation founded?
The Players Foundation was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Players Foundation based?
The Players Foundation is headquartered in Liverpool, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are The Players Foundation's main competitors?
Others on record are FIFPro, League Football Education (LFE) and National Football Museum. Broad incumbents are Premier League Charitable Fund and EFL Trust. Direct peers are Switch the Play Foundation, SportsAid, Scottish Football Association Trust, British Athletes Commission and Professional Footballers' Association (PFA).
Does The Players Foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Players Foundation.
What industry is The Players Foundation in?
The Players Foundation's product category is Charitable Welfare Services for Professional Footballers. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAKAK, Sports Fundraising & Development Services (Foundations, NIL Collectives Support), with a secondary code of MPAKALAJ, Cause, Community & CSR-Linked Sports Partnerships (Foundations, Youth Programs). Its SIC code is 8600.