Following on from the hugely successful ‘Gift of Football’ campaign with Nike in 2019, which saw PayPal donate £100,000 to Football Beyond Borders (FBB), we have teamed up with the charity again this year, with support from the Lionesses, to shine a light on the people in football who truly go above and beyond.

Through a short emotive film, England internationals Steph Houghton, Fran Kirby, Beth Mead and Ellie Roebuck, reflect on key figures in their life who have gone the extra mile and helped get them to where they are today. The film then focuses on the story of Petal Harty, a young girl who Football Beyond Borders supported during lockdown with a new laptop, which enabled her to take part in an online art programme.

2020 has been an extremely difficult year for both charities and grassroots football, and as an Official Partner of The FA, the campaign showcases our continued commitment to support all areas of the game. Football Beyond Borders is a UK charity that supports young people from disadvantaged backgrounds who are passionate about football, but disengaged at
school, in order to help them finish school with the skills and grades to make a successful transition into adulthood.

The £100,000 donation from last year’s campaign enabled FBB to run girls-only sessions in schools as part of the national curriculum for the first time. There are now 15 programmes up and running with more in the pipeline for 2021. To support FBB this Christmas,* simply login to the PayPal app and select Football Beyond Borders as your favourite charity. You can then purchase with purpose via Give at Checkout when shopping online.

Watch the film here.