We are delighted to name Jake Batty as our Premier League Community Captain in recognition of their commitment and contribution to the game and society.
Over the next two weeks, the Premier League and clubs will be celebrating ‘More Than A Game’ and highlighting the positive impact of Premier League investment into communities and clubs at every level of football.
The Premier League is investing £1.6 billion into wider football and communities between 2022 and 2025 to support football at every level of the game across England and Wales. This world-leading funding into clubs, communities and facilities positively impacts and inspires millions of people.
As part of ‘More Than A Game’, the League will be celebrating more than 100 Community Captains – individuals nominated by Premier League, EFL and National League clubs for their contribution to their local community via programmes funded by the Premier League.
Jake has been chosen as Barnsley FC Community Trust’s 2025 Community Captain for their incredible commitment to their community and for his involvement in our Premier League Fans Fund programmes.
On receiving the award, Jake said: “ It’s a pleasure to receive the award on behalf of my teams hard work ensuring we meet the needs of the Barnsley Community. It was also special receiving the award from Conor and Kayode who played the best football I’ve watched Barnsley play as a fan for 25 years, thank you both for taking the time out to pass on the award. This is an award not just for me but for our Community Trust team who work endlessly to deliver special programs to our communities.”
We are proud to celebrate the achievements of our Premier League Community Captain, Jake, recognising the instrumental role they played in our Premier League Fans Fund programme Inclusive Reds. Our Inclusive Reds programme creates a welcoming environment for pan-disability adults and has proven to be instrumental in improving participants’ health and wellbeing. By delivering diverse physical activities, we ensure inclusivity remains a priority.
After joining Barnsley FC Community Trust as our Inclusion Officer about a year ago Jake has proven to be a popular member of the team with both staff and participants. His inclusive reds group has gone from strength to strength and this shows how dedicated Jake is to his role.
Premier League Director of Community Nick Perchard said: “It is so important that we continue to recognise and collectively highlight the positive impact that work within local communities has, championing those at the heart of Premier League-funded initiatives. Success on the pitch enables the Premier League to share unparallelled investment into communities and football at all levels across England and Wales.”