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Heading for Success
PROMOTING SKILLS TO THE TOP OF THE LEAGUE
Top football clubs join forces to boost adult learning
Top Premier League and Football League clubs are teaming up with the Government on to sign up fans wanting to improve their literacy, language or numeracy skills.
Supporters of clubs such as Manchester United, Liverpool, Leicester City, Brighton & Hove Albion and Bristol City will be able to hone their learning skills at either their club or at local colleges.
The ‘Heading for Success' project, launched on 9 March 2006 at the FA headquarters in London, uses the power of football to attract adults into learning, for example, learning maths by understanding transfer fees and the battle to avoid relegation, or improving reading and writing by producing match reports or analysing commentary.
The launch was kicked off by the then Skills Minister Phil Hope; Minister for Sport Richard Caborn and FA Head of Football Development, Sir Trevor Brooking.
Please click here to read the full press notice
Since the launch of the project, a further 21 football clubs and one rugby league club have signed up to the scheme. Ten learning providers are also running a "college-only" model supported by the Football Association and the England team. A full list and their contact details can be found below.
The Heading for Success project
The Heading for Success project was created with the aim of replicating the success that the Playing for Success programme has had with school children, by using the power of football to attract adults into Skills for Life learning. Learning will take place in a football club branded environment and will be delivered in a football context. KPMG, who have a network of education advisers, are brokering sustainable relationships between football clubs, learning providers and colleges, and local Learning and Skills Councils (LSCs.)
Progress to date
31 football clubs and one rugby league club have so far signed up to Heading for Success. In two years, over 2,300 learners have enrolled on Heading for Success courses and are improving their skills with the help of their favourite club or the England team, and their local learning provider.
How to find out more
Learners can find out more by calling the learndirect national learning advice line on 0800 100 900 and mentioning 'Heading for Success' - or by calling one of the individual numbers below. Advisers will take their details and help them find out about the free literacy and numeracy courses. For those clubs that have not yet launched, the learners' details will be saved and they will be contacted shortly, once the local project has fully launched.
Club Contact number
Accrington Stanley 01254 354181
Aston Villa 0121 5058500
Brentford 0208 3262020
Brighton and Hove Albion 01273 501392
Bristol City 0117 3125000
Charlton Athletic 0208 4884892
Colchester United 01206 518731
Coventry City To be launched shortly
Dagenham & Redbridge 01708 770077
Doncaster Rovers 0800 3587575
Everton 0151 2524701
Huddersfield Town 01484 437070
Hull City 01482 598742
Leicester City 0116 2242240
Liverpool 0151 2524701
Manchester United 0161 9524699
Mansfield Town FC 0800 0131 005
Millwall 0207 848 3782 / 3551
MK Dons 01908 608581
Newcastle United 0191 2004565
Norwich City tbc
Nottingham Forest 0115 8490551
Notts County 0115 914 6308 / 6287
Oldham Athletic 0161 6245214
Stafford Rangers FC 01785 275515
Stockport County 0161 9583150
Stoke City 01782 603637
Tranmere Rovers To be launched shortly
Wigan Athletic 01942 761518
Wolverhampton Wanderers 01902 8360000
Yeovil Town 01935 845419
Leeds Rhinos (rugby league) 0113 2162150
If you have any questions or queries about the project, or if you'd like to get involved, please contact us.
Partners
'Heading for Success' is a partnership between a wide variety of organisations, and is kindly supported by the Football Association , FA Learning , the Premier League, the Football League, KPMG and the Department for Culture Media & Sport.
The England team showed their support for Heading for Success at a recent training session. Left to right, Frank Lampard, Luke Young, Jermaine Jenas, Chris Kirkland, Jermaine Defoe, Ledley King, John Terry, Paul Robinson, Darren Bent, Robert Green, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Joe Cole.
The Launch
The ‘Heading for Success' project was launched on 9 March 2006 at the FA headquarters in Soho Square, London. The event was hosted by former England international Garth Crooks, along with Skills Minister Phil Hope, Minister for Sport Richard Caborn and FA Head of Football Development, Sir Trevor Brooking. 
Representatives from the 10 football clubs and learning providers involved in the project were also in attendance. They received a special plaque from the Ministers to mark their contribution to the development of the project so far.
There were several Skills for Life learners present too, including current Brighton & Hove Albion captain, Charlie Oatway. Charlie spoke about his own problems with literacy and how the learning centre at Brighton had helped him out. He said:
“I got to a stage in my life when the kids were asking me to do things – for example, helping them with their homework. I would just have to send them to their Mum, which was horrible for me but also for them. I knew about the club’s study centre and I just gave it a go. There is a brilliant atmosphere in there that is informal and relaxed. I’m currently trying to get my Level 1 in Literacy. I would say to anyone worrying about their maths or English, just take that first step and call 0800 100 900 – you will always be glad you did.”
Heading for Success was supported by the European Social Fund. 
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