Our History

Collage of CACT photos throughout the years

Charlton Athletic Community Trust (CACT) has a proud history of delivering programmes across South East London and Kent since 1992, improving levels of education and employment, reducing crime and improving health.

  • 1992 – The community programme at Charlton Athletic is established through a partnership with Charlton Athletic Football Club and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).
  • Early 1990s – The Charlton Athletic Race and Equality Partnership (CARE), formed in 1992, steps up its range of anti-racism initiatives in the Royal Borough of Greenwich following the murder of Stephen Lawrence.
  • Mid-1990s – A Bexley Community Officer is appointed with funding from the PFA and the London Borough of Bexley.
  • 1997 – A groundbreaking sponsorship deal is signed with Network Rail, the catalyst for a £1.2m sponsorship deal with the PFA.
  • 1998 – CARE develops the Sports Charter for Racial Equality (SCORE) to promote good practice for local teams and coaches. This is rolled out across South London.
  • 2003 – The community programme becomes Charlton Athletic Community Trust, an independent charity that works in partnership with local communities to empower individuals to improve their lives and their environment. 
  • 2003 – CACT undertakes a 10-year project in South Africa, working in townships in Cape Town, Durban and Johannesburg. This work was depicted in England’s 2018 World Cup bid book.
  • 2005 – CACT starts delivering FA Level 1 in Coaching Football courses at HMP Belmarsh as part of its work in prisons.
  • 2005 – Prince William comes to Sparrows Lane to see some of CACT’s projects. It was his first official visit as FA President.
  • 2007 – CACT begins its partnership with Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust, delivering a variety of programmes to promote health and wellbeing within the community.
  • 2007 – Harry Arter makes his senior debut, becoming the first player to reach Charlton’s first-team via a community trust programme. In total, 26 community players have signed professional contracts.
  • 2008 – The Street Violence Ruins Lives programme is launched following the murder of Rob Knox in Sidcup. Charlton and Millwall become the first clubs to remove a sponsor’s logo from the front of shirts and replace it with the Street Violence Ruins Lives logo.
  • 2009 – The Football League names Charlton as Community Club of the Year, an award it went on to win again in 2013 and 2016.
  • 2010 – CACT is the first football community trust to appoint a Crime Reduction Team, working with the Police, local authority community safety teams and the Street Violence Ruins Lives Committee.
  • 2012 – CACT is contracted to run the Royal Borough of Greenwich’s youth service, becoming the first football-related charity to do so.
  • 2013 – CACT starts a Woolwich United initiative to promote social integration and build positive relationships between different groups following the murder of soldier Lee Rigby.
  • April 2015 – Hundreds of fans take part in the first Charlton Upbeats walk, which has since become an annual tradition to raise money for the Upbeats, the well-known Down’s syndrome football team established in 2008. The walks have raised over £73,000 since 2014.
  • August 2017 – CACT Invicta FC becomes the first LGBTQI+ friendly football team to take a professional club’s name and badge
  • September 2017 – CACT launches an Impact Report after a year-long study of its programmes which calculated that every £1 it invests is worth £6.89 in social value
  • March 2018 – CACT named as London Community Club of the Year. Two years later, CACT wins two EFL awards, being named London Community Club of the Year and winning the Divisional Project of the Year award.
  • March 2020 – CACT works with the Royal Borough of Greenwich to launch the Greenwich Community Hub, supporting residents during the COVID-19 pandemic
  • June 2021 – Chief Executive Jason Morgan reflects on the past year, with CACT's response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Click here to watch his interview

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