Bloomsbury Football Foundation and LALIGA enter fourth year of grassroots collaboration broadening access to football in London

LALIGA and Bloomsbury Football Foundation have officially kicked off the fourth season of their groundbreaking community partnership supporting youth football in London. The collaboration featuring participation of 16 LALIGA clubs with the UK's sport-for-good charity seeks to change the game for young players and improve accessibility to football for participants of all backgrounds.

Supported by CVC and FUNDACIÓN LALIGA, this partnership combines the power of LALIGA with the social impact of Bloomsbury Football Foundation, who engage with over 6,200 young people in London each week across various programmes. By partnering together, the parties deliver recreational tournaments for aspiring players across London, both in schools and on weekends.

Once again, FUNDACIÓN LALIGA will help strengthen participants’ skills through specialised training focused on promoting the positive values of football and applying them to daily life, as well as using sport as a tool for social inclusion. Enabling access to football remains a key objective of the project, in which 45 boys and girls receive financial scholarships to support their participation.

To launch their fourth season working together, LALIGA and Bloomsbury Football Foundation hosted a kick-off ceremony at both weekend sites: Acland Burghley School in the London Borough of Camden and Harris Academy in St John’s Wood. Players and coaches were welcomed, presented with their new club kits and introduced to the season ahead by Charlie Hyman, Founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Football Foundation and Keegan Pierce, Director of International Relations at LALIGA.

This season, 16 Spanish clubs across three tiers of Spanish professional football are taking part, underscoring LALIGA’s continued commitment to boosting accessibility to football worldwide.

 

Players will proudly wear the colours of Spanish sides Athletic Club, RCD Espanyol, Atlético de Madrid, Real Betis, RCD Mallorca, Valencia CF, CA Osasuna, Deportivo Alavés, Villarreal CF, RC Celta, Real Oviedo and Girona FC, as well as RC Deportivo, CD Leganés and Granada CF, plus the tournament’s reigning champions, CD Tenerife.

 

Since officially launching in mid-2022, the LALIGA x Bloomsbury Football project continues to grow, having welcomed to-date more than 500 participating players.

Last season, LALIGA, Bloomsbury Football Foundation and FUNDACIÓN LALIGA organised several meaningful moments for participants, including the Girls Schools Programme finals day, featuring former FC Barcelona, Atlético de Madrid and England international Toni Duggan; a visit from former Sevilla FC player Frédéric Kanoute, to celebrate the opening of a second site at Harris Academy; and a training session with LALIGA Ambassador and former Spain international, Aintzane Encinas.

This season will once again feature a Saturday-morning competition across two North London locations, plus a girls football programme featuring collaboration with local schools as part of LALIGA’s and Bloomsbury Football’s ongoing commitment to support growth of the women’s game.

Underlining the partnership’s expansion year-on-year, LALIGA partner CVC have continued their crucial support for the programme for the 2025/26 season, which compliments the invaluable training and financial support provided by LALIGA’s charitable arm, FUNDACIÓN LALIGA.

Charlie Hyman, Founder and CEO of Bloomsbury Football Foundation said:

“Our continued belief in the power of football to transform young lives is what makes this partnership thrive year after year. As we enter our fourth year working alongside LALIGA’s London office, we plan to deliver even more unforgettable experiences that inspire excitement, learning, and personal growth. This season, we remain committed to making every session accessible to all, and I truly believe we can help these young footballers see that anything is possible.”

Keegan Pierce, Director of International Relations at LALIGA said: 

“In just over three years, our partnership with Bloomsbury Football Foundation has achieved so much in inspiring more young players to join the Bloomsbury community, and we’re proud to be continuing it into the 2025/26 season, with the support of Fundación LALIGA, CVC and all 16 of our participating teams. With steady growth each year and incredible support from clubs across Spain, we’re committed to giving back to the community here in London while also inspiring young LALIGA fans and deepening connections with Spanish football.”