TOTAL Football Academy lands $650,000 Digicel Foundation grant after Instagram skills contest

TOTAL Football Academy (TFA) has received a $650,000 grant from Digicel Foundation after topping a social media contest aimed at lifting grass-roots football programmes across Jamaica.

The academy took first place in the foundation’s Show Your Skills and Score challenge, which asked school sides, community clubs and academies to share a video of their players’ abilities for a shot at funding. TFA’s entry drew more than 1,000 organic likes on Instagram to claim the win.

Charmaine Daniels, chief executive officer of Digicel Foundation, said organisers timed the competition to coincide with heightened interest around the World Cup.

“Football has a unique way of uniting people, and the whole world was watching the World Cup with such passion. We wanted to channel that same energy back into our own communities, where the next generation of footballers is being shaped every day. A lot of young players look up to these World Cup athletes, and they dream of one day representing their own countries on that same stage,” she said.

Daniels also linked the award to the foundation’s longer record of backing sport as a path to social progress.

“Throughout the years, we have consistently supported grassroots programmes because we’ve seen firsthand what it does for young people. It teaches discipline, teamwork and resilience. It keeps children engaged and out of harm’s way. Most importantly, it brings communities together.”

TFA founder and director Raymond Leveridge said the money arrives as the academy looks to scale its work.

“We are incredibly grateful to Digicel Foundation for this opportunity and for believing in what we’re building here. This grant will help us provide proper gear for our players, cover training expenses and support critical areas like nutrition and hydration that are often overlooked but so important to a young athlete’s development. We’ll also be able to purchase much-needed equipment that will elevate the quality of training we can offer,” he said.

He also described who the programme serves and why the funding matters on the ground.

“We are an academy with a very diverse demographic. A large number of our players come from inner-city communities and less fortunate backgrounds where access to structured, quality football programmes isn’t always guaranteed. For many of these young people, TFA is a safe space, and a support system. This grant allows us to remove some of the barriers that stand between our players and their potential and that means everything to us,” he said.

Digicel Foundation runs two funding streams: the Mek A Muckle grant, which can award as much as $650,000 for smaller projects, and the Build Jamaica grant, which can provide up to $2,000,000 for bigger programmes. Details are available at www.digicelfoundation.org/jm/en.