Club joins Social Mobility Pledge Consortium

Tottenham Hotspur has today joined the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Social Mobility Pledge Consortium, committing to helping more people into work and spreading opportunity.

The Club joins 120 major employers - including Tesco, PWC and Sky - in committing to placing social mobility at its heart and supporting people into work no matter their background.

In a ceremony held Tottenham Hotspur Stadium today, Mims Davies MP, the Minister for Social Mobility, Youth and Progression - who co-founded the Social Mobility Pledge Consortium - praised the Club and other signatories for their work supporting people into work.

The event also saw the introduction of a new initiative encouraging signatories to offer greater support for women into leadership roles. The Covenant for Empowering Women and Girls will ask employers to sign up to an array of pledges - such as mentoring and work experience opportunities - which they judge will best allow them to support their current and future female workforce.

Tottenham Hotspur has a proven track record of delivering jobs for local people as a direct result of its Stadium and wider development scheme.

This has seen over 4,000 new jobs created across a range of sectors within a Borough that has one of the highest rates of unemployment in London, with 5.2% of adults unemployed according to the Office of National Statistics - above the national average of 3.7%.

The Club and its Foundation host regular Jobs Fairs at the Stadium, connecting hundreds of jobseekers with major employers, as well as employment drop-in sessions and skills training for marginalised groups, including those with learning difficulties and young people in care.

One individual to have benefited from a Jobs Fair at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium is Ceylan Cemal from Enfield, who found employment as a steward on event days and now aspires to become a police officer. Ceylan was present at today’s event and had the opportunity to speak to the Minister about her story.

Donna-Maria Cullen, Executive Director, Tottenham Hotspur and Chair of Trustees, Tottenham Hotspur Foundation, said: "Our Club carries the belief that education and employment is the foundation of a healthy society - we have seen first-hand how getting a job can truly change an individual’s life for the better and open up endless opportunities.

“Creating jobs for local people was a driving ethos behind developing our new stadium within one of London’s most deprived communities - we are extremely proud to have delivered over 4,000 jobs as a direct result.

“We are delighted to join the Social Mobility Pledge Consortium, working closely with Government and a range of fellow employers in continuing to create job opportunities with a key focus on some of society’s most vulnerable groups.”

Mims Davies, Minister for Social Mobility, Youth & Progression, said: “I know first-hand the importance of giving someone the chance they need in life. Combined with hard work, the possibilities it can create are endless.

“It is absolutely vital employers unlock potential in people of all ages and all backgrounds, providing them with the chance to thrive and progress. It really can make a difference to their lives, your business and our economy.

“I thank the organisations who have already signed up to our Social Mobility Pledge Consortium and I’m thrilled Tottenham Hotspur has joined us in helping to give more people the opportunities they deserve.”

The Social Mobility Pledge Consortium was originally founded in July 2022 in conjunction with TalkTalk, who had worked with the DWP to gather 40 UK organisations to sign up. This has more than trebled in just one year to over 120 members, with quarterly forums designed to check in on progress.

Many members have made specific, measurable commitments as part of their pledge, most commonly to provide access to ringfenced vacancies for DWP’s vulnerable customers across the UK. Support put in place by signatories varies across businesses and is tailored to their workforce.