About

Never Alone - Stronger Together

#JW23 Football Foundation is a non-profit, highly transparent foundation set up by myself, former footballer, Jimmy Walker. The aim of #JW23 is to provide support and help for ex-players or recently released footballers. Weather that be help with physical or mental health issues, addictions or financial advice as they seek a new pathway.

We are finding it more and more common place that players, who have put their bodies on the line week in week out to entertain and give so much joy to the fans and clubs they played for over the years, are severely more likely to suffer from various health issues, such as dementia and poor mental health. Lots of players I know and have shared dressing rooms and pitches with, struggle to replace the highs - and lows - of being in this team environment when they are unable to play on any longer, weather that be through injury, deemed not good enough or naturally through older age.

There is lots of fantastic work going on already to address these issues but lots more needs to be done. Throughout the recent 'lockdown' periods I spoke with several ex teammates who are struggling with a variety of issues. The PFA in particular do some great work but a lot of players I know struggle to talk to someone they don’t know, this is where we hope #23 can help. The aim is to start with us as a contact point and then get them talking to the many people that are in, or have been in similar positions to themselves, gradually forming a support system.. whilst also getting them in front of the correct professionals that can really help to make a difference. It all starts with talking.. fitting in with the foundations narrative.. ‘Although you may feel alone - you never are... together we are stronger’.

We will also look to help and support grassroots football. Putting on free sessions, helping to provide kit and boots for more vulnerable kids who would otherwise miss out.. the beautiful game should be accessible for everyone but we know with spiralling costs and people struggling in the current climate this is not always the case. Our vision is to eventually have several top class football centres that can be used and enjoyed by everyone, including under privileged families or people with disabilities, for free.

We will also be working with charities and causes close to ours and the football worlds hearts. #23 will work tirelessly to help raise much needed funding for amazing causes. Causes like Isla’s fight, Isla and her families strength over the last few years since I first had the privilege to help their cause has deeply touched myself, along with the West Ham family and football fans around the country. The JE3 foundation and the BHF, are particularly close to my thoughts, after recently losing my partners’ Brother, Karl and my close friend Justin Edinburgh, suddenly and unexpectedly due to heart attacks and now my former teammate and great friend, Wayne Evans - Wanners. We will be focusing on these causes to start with but hopefully we will be in a position over the coming years to help many other well deserving causes.

To enable the transparency in what we aim to do, we will generally distribute all profits generated in the following way, unless in exceptional circumstances where we will focus all our efforts for a particular cause:

• 40% of all our profits will go to former Football players in need of help.
• 30% of all profits will go to Grassroots football.
• 30% of all profits will go to various Charities and foundations close to ours and the football worlds hearts.

I have been truly inspired lately by the many wonderful foundations and individuals that are doing amazing work for their chosen causes and charities. I’ve also been fortunate enough to be involved in lots of football matches, golf days and the like, including, most lately, charity games, for ‘Dom’s food mission’ and my ex Walsall teammate Wayne Thomas’ ‘Ace foundation’ to support our former ‘Gaffer’ Chris Nichol, in his battle with dementia.
It’s been humbling to see the incredible support these events have received from the football world and to see just how much it can make a difference to the lives of the people who need the help and their families.

I have been thinking of setting up something along these lines for years but there never seems a ‘perfect’ time to start. I’ve already waited long enough for that perfect moment, so although it’s very much in its infancy and whilst I’m not ‘working’ at a club for the first time in years, I’m just going to go for it and add to the foundation along the way.. firstly by developing a website and using interactive social media communication to show how the money raised is helping.
I figure if I can help even just one ex teammate or former player and some richly deserving people along the way, I will be delighted.

To get the ‘ball rolling’, so to speak, once the foundations bank account is up and running, I will deposit £1000.00 of my own money, which I hope will help to gain everyone’s trust in the project.
I then aim to complete a bike ride, before the season is over, to each of my former clubs in the order that I was registered as a player at. I will add further details and how to donate to this when finalised. I will also look at doing further fundraising events throughout the year.

To give me a push to finally get it finished, I will also donate ALL of any Profits made from my upcoming ‘book’ to the Foundation.

Why the name #23? For one it was my favourite shirt number.. but it also represents that historically if you wore the number 23 shirt, you tended not to be the main player or didn’t make the starting XI every week but you were no less important to the squad and the fans. Tying it all in with the ‘You are never alone’ and ‘Together we are Stronger’ stance.

As you’ll eventually see in my book, I have been through, literally, everything during my career and now feel in a position where I can really help to make a positive difference to peoples lives that I genuinely care about.

Best Wishes

Jimmy