Barclays Premier League Trophy Inspires Football Coaches At the Khayelitsha Football For Hope Centre

The coveted Barclays Premier League Trophy was the centre of attention in Khayelitsha’s Football for Hope Centre near Cape Town today as Barclays reaffirmed its financial commitment to the Grassroot Soccer (GRS) South Africa Coach Development Programme run in conjunction with Barclays Spaces for Sports.

The programme, delivered for Barclays by Grassroots Soccer, goes far beyond the fields of football. Over 190 GRS coaches between the ages of 18 and 30, who worked with over 39 000 youth in their communities in 2013, have been empowered through training focused on employability and financial literacy skills over the past year. The aim of the project is to encourage all people to live healthy and productive lives through the medium of sport and to embody good citizenship in their respective communities.

The Grassroot Soccer development courses are enhanced by additional hands-on experience as well as offering mentoring and voluntary apprenticeships. Khayelitsha has been one of the successful areas of the programme, with 35 of the 190 coach intake over the past year, hailing from this community in the Western Cape.

Bafana Bafana legend that played for Bolton Wanderers and Charlton Athletic during his playing career in the Barclays Premier League, Mark Fish, accompanied the Barclays Premier League trophy to inspire those present.  Said Fish:  “Good citizenship should be a part of everyday life and it is key that people understand the importance of life skills such as entrepreneurship and financial literacy. Even footballers can’t play football forever, and it is crucial to have some sort of business acumen to fall back on when one’s playing days are over. Barclays needs to be commended for taking this empowering step towards creating a brighter future and for striving to make a difference in communities through this programme.”

Chris Barkley, Grassroot Soccer Director of Business Development & Strategy said: “From a Grassroot Soccer perspective, we are very grateful for the support Barclays provides this project both here in South Africa as well as in Zambia and Zimbabwe. We have no doubt that the fruits of this success story will see many of these people put through the programme, going on to take advantage of high-level employment or educational opportunities in the near future.”

The programme, funded by Barclays through the Barclays Spaces for Sports programme, has made a positive and meaningful impact over the past 12 months, according to Gideon Serfontein, Head of Citizenship at Barclays Africa. “Our community investment will continue to focus on helping to create sustainable local communities in which people are empowered to shape a positive future for themselves and their families, and are able to make a meaningful contribution to their local economy. In doing so, we partner with public benefit organisations such as Grassroot Soccer that achieve development goals through viable, innovative and sustainable skills programmes, thus allowing communities to prosper.”

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For further queries, please contact:

Dante Mashile, CPRP

Vice President Group Media Relations

Mobile: +27 72 605 1623

E-mail: dante.mashile@absa.co.za

Notes to Editors:

Barclays Spaces for Sports:

Citizenship at Barclays is about three things: how we contribute to growth in the real economy; the way we do business; and supporting our communities through investment programmes and the direct efforts of our employees. Barclays Spaces for Sports is a community-based sports programme, which uses sport as a platform to help young people develop life skills and revitalise disadvantaged communities in a sustainable way. In partnership with the Football Foundation, Barclays has delivered 200 physical sports site used by 53,000 people in disadvantaged areas in the UK.

The programme has also invested in 15 innovative sports-for-development programmes around the world. Spaces for Sports is part of Barclays wider 5 Million Young Futures commitment to invest not only money, but employees’/colleagues’ time and expertise in community programmes that enhance the enterprise, employability and financial skills of disadvantaged young people aged 10 to 35 years, by 2015.

To find out more please visit www.barclays.com/spacesforsports

About Barclays Africa Group

Barclays Africa Group Limited (Barclays Africa or the Group), is listed on the JSE Limited and is one of Africa’s largest financial services groups. We are uniquely positioned as a fully global, fully regional and fully local bank. We combine our global product knowledge with regional expertise and our extensive and well-established local presence in Africa to serve our customers and clients even better.  The Group offers personal and business banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking, wealth and investment management as well as bancassurance.

Our Group was formed by combining Absa Group Limited and majority of Barclays Africa operations on 31 July 2013. Reflecting the enlarged group’s pan-African focus, our name changed from Absa Group Limited to Barclays Africa Group Limited on 2 August 2013.

At 31 December 2013, we had 847,8 million shares in issue and a market capitalisation of R112,1 billion. We operate in 12 countries and have 11,8 million customers, total assets of R959,6 billion; 10 780 automated teller machines, 1 314 branches and 42 400 permanent employees.

Our registered head office is in Johannesburg, South Africa and we have majority stakes in banks in Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania (Barclays Bank Tanzania and National Bank of Commerce), Uganda and Zambia. We also have representative offices in Namibia and Nigeria. Our bancassurance operations are in Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zambia.  Barclays Bank Kenya and Barclays Bank Botswana continue to be listed on their respective stock exchanges. In addition to the entities listed in this legal structure, Barclays Bank PLC has operations in Egypt and Zimbabwe which are an integral part of our African business and continue to be run by Barclays Africa Group operationally.

Barclays Premier League and Bafana Bafana legend Mark Fish shows that he has lost none of his football skills, during an on-pitch session at the Grassroot Soccer (GRS) South Africa Coach Development Programme run in conjunction with Barclays Spaces for Sports, in Khayelitsha, near Cape Town, on Friday, 21 February 2014. Photo: Backpagepix

Barclays Premier League trophy in Khayelitsha: Barclays Premier League and Bafana Bafana legend Mark Fish (second from right, was on hand to inspire a host of coaches who have completed the first year curriculum at the Grassroot Soccer (GRS) South Africa Coach Development Programme run in conjunction with Barclays Spaces for Sports, in Khayelitsha, near Cape Town, on Friday, 21 February 2014. Pictured along with Fish are (from left) Chris Barkley (Grassroot Soccer Director of Business Development & Strategy), Tony Gubesa (Master Coach, Grassroot Soccer), Gideon Serfontein (Head of Citizenship, Barclays Africa) and Programme Director Carol Tshabalala. Photo: Backpagepix