The programme has been nominated for Best Corporate Social Responsibility Scheme at the Football Business Awards, recognising the impact in supporting young people’s journeys into the creative industries.

The nomination celebrates a partnership that uses the power of the Liverpool FC badge to tackle social inequality both at home and away, creating meaningful opportunities for young people who face barriers to employment.

Creative Works is designed to address the challenges that prevent young people from entering creative careers such as providing opportunities to broaden professional networks and improving the confidence of young people that will enable them to succeed in a professional environment.

Delivered across Liverpool and New York, the programme brings together employability, creativity and literacy whilst offering a pathway into industries that can often seem inaccessible.

In total, the programme has provided more than 8,000 hours of structured, high-quality sessions and exceeded initial targets.

In Liverpool, young people were embedded into Liverpool FC’s content pipeline, taking part in a professional content shoot where they interviewed players, created artwork and shadowed experienced creatives working within the Club’s commercial operations.

Through the partnership with Kodansha, participants also gained access to industry expertise, including mentorship from Kodansha editors and professionals from across

photography, film and publishing. This support ensured young people were learning and gain experience from people working at the highest level of the industry.

In New York, the programme was carefully adapted to reflect local needs, including schools where English is not the first language. Creative projects such as photography, videography and visual storytelling ensured young people could develop employability skills regardless of language proficiency.

Creative Works reflects LFC Foundation’s five-year strategy to support fans “away from home,” with current programmes operating across the UK, Ireland, USA, Japan, Tanzania and Ethiopia. Employment remains at the heart of the Foundation’s mission, and New York has become a key focus for communities facing significant barriers to progression.

Matt Parish, LFC Foundation’s CEO said, “We are incredibly proud to be nominated for this award alongside Kodansha."

“Working alongside an official Club partner in Kodansha shows what can be achieved when a partnership goes beyond traditional sponsorship and is rooted in shared values and purpose."

“Through Creative Works, we are creating real opportunities for young people who might not have thought that a career in the creative industries was achievable.”

Akiko Kamiya, Corporate Branding Deputy Director at Kodansha and Kodansha’s lead for the Kodansha × Liverpool FC partnership, said, "We are truly honoured that Creative Works has been recognised in this way, and deeply grateful to LFC Foundation for leading the programme with such care and commitment.

As a publisher, Kodansha believes in the power of stories to help young people discover their own voice, express their ideas and recognise the value of their creativity. Through Creative Works, we have been able to share our experience in publishing, editing and storytelling, helping young people see how ideas can be shaped, developed and shared with others."

The programme has set out to and achieved lasting impact for its participants, with several alumni having secured paid work experience on live creative shoots, with some progressing into regular freelance roles with Liverpool FC and other creative agencies.

For more information on Kodansha and the Creative Works programme, visit their website by clicking here.