The Street Soccer Foundation has launched The Big Green Goal, a scheme that links unwanted business technology to funding credits for The Big Goal membership programme.

The initiative targets organisations with unused laptops, desktops, mobile phones, tablets, servers, monitors and networking equipment. Through a partnership with IT asset recovery specialist ICT Reverse, those items can be collected, processed and recycled, with any residual value donated to the charity on behalf of the participating business.

That value is converted into membership credits for future membership of The Big Goal, a business-backed programme run by the foundation to support young people affected by homelessness and disadvantage. The model gives companies a way to deal with redundant technology while also contributing to social programmes.

The launch reflects growing interest among companies in managing electronic waste and showing environmental and social outcomes from existing assets. It also puts the technology channel at the centre of a funding model tied to equipment that might otherwise sit unused in offices or storage.

How it works

Businesses register unwanted equipment, and ICT Reverse arranges collection and processing. The partner handles data security and recycling, while recovered value depends on the type, age and condition of the devices.

The membership credits created through the scheme can only be used against future membership of The Big Goal. They are non-refundable and non-transferable.

The Big Green Goal extends The Big Goal, which brings together businesses from the technology sector and other industries to back youth opportunity programmes. The Street Soccer Foundation uses football-based academies and employability support to work with young people facing homelessness or severe disadvantage.

Keith Mabbutt, Founder and CEO, Street Soccer Foundation, said: “Most organisations have redundant technology sitting unused somewhere in their business, and they already have a responsibility to dispose of it properly. The Big Green Goal gives them a simple way to turn that obligation into something positive.

“By recycling unwanted technology responsibly, businesses can reduce electronic waste, create measurable social value and build credit towards their future membership of The Big Goal. It is what we believe is the UK’s simplest ESG action: one straightforward decision that helps businesses, helps the environment and helps create life-changing opportunities for young people.”

The model was developed and tested with a small group of early participating organisations before the wider launch. Those companies included Giacom, Voiceworks UK and Fifteen Group.

According to the charity, those early participants helped shape the operating process for businesses that want to recycle equipment and convert recovered value into support for the programme. Giacom, also the headline sponsor of The Big Goal, was the first organisation to use the service before the broader rollout.

Early backing

Terry O’Brien, CEO, Giacom, said: “At Giacom, we immediately recognised The Big Green Goal as an incredibly smart and practical initiative – one that every technology business should be making use of.

“Through The Big Green Goal, we now have a simple solution that not only supports responsible recycling and sustainability goals, but also directly helps fund life-changing opportunities for vulnerable young people across the UK. It’s an absolute no-brainer.”

The Street Soccer Foundation was established in 2015 and works with professional football clubs, employers and community groups. Its programmes combine football with personal development, wellbeing, education and employability support for young people seeking routes into work, training and independent living.

For participating businesses, the scheme creates a direct link between IT disposal and future membership costs within the foundation’s employer network. For the charity, it opens another funding route without requiring a separate cash contribution when equipment is handed over.

The proposition is likely to appeal most to medium-sized and large organisations with regular device refresh cycles, where batches of hardware can retain some resale or recovery value. Companies with formal environmental, social and governance reporting may also see the scheme as a practical way to document equipment reuse, recycling and charitable support through a single process.

ICT Reverse, which works in IT asset disposal and recycling, is responsible for collecting and securely handling the devices. It has more than 25 years of experience serving UK and European organisations, according to background information issued alongside the launch.

Many businesses already hold equipment that is no longer in active use, making the initiative a way to turn dormant assets into support for young people who need access to opportunity. Recovered values depend on the condition of the hardware handed in.

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Arsenal topped a ranking of Premier League clubs by Instagram earned media value in the first half of 2026, based on analysis by influencer marketing platform Kolsquare.

According to the research, the North London club generated GBP £37,748,895 in earned media value from 9,362 Instagram posts shared by 3,167 creators. It also recorded a 9.3% engagement rate and moved up one place from the same period a year earlier.

Manchester United ranked second with GBP £15.9 million in earned media value, rising six places. The club featured in more than 2,146 pieces of Instagram content created by 796 influencers and content creators.

Manchester City placed third with GBP £11.76 million in earned media value and posted the highest engagement rate among the leading clubs at 9.5%.

Liverpool was fourth with GBP £4.24 million, down three places, while Newcastle United completed the top five with GBP £3.8 million.

The analysis covered 21,994 Instagram posts mentioning Premier League clubs and more than 7,900 influencers and creators during the first six months of 2026. Kolsquare based the top 20 table on earned media value, a metric used to estimate marketing value from interactions including likes, comments and shares.

Wider gap

The figures point to a sharp divide in Instagram attention between a small group of clubs and the rest of the league. Arsenal alone generated nearly GBP £37.7 million, while the combined total for Arsenal, Manchester United and Manchester City exceeded GBP £65 million.

Several clubs outside the leading group recorded notable moves in the table. Coventry made the biggest gain, rising seven places to 11th after generating almost GBP £1.8 million in earned media value.

Everton climbed three places into the top eight. Nottingham Forest also rose three spots to ninth, while Bournemouth advanced four places.

At the lower end of the ranking, Crystal Palace fell six places, Sunderland dropped eight positions, and Brentford slipped six places to 20th.

Engagement focus

Kolsquare said the strongest results did not simply reflect posting volume. Clubs with highly engaged online communities performed best, particularly those using creator relationships, storytelling and behind-the-scenes content to encourage supporters to interact.

Quentin Bordage, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Kolsquare, commented on the findings.

“Every major tournament creates new football heroes, viral moments and millions of social media conversations. The clubs that succeed afterwards are the ones that know how to keep that attention once the final whistle blows.

“Our data shows the clubs leading on Instagram aren’t simply posting more content – they’re creating content that fans genuinely want to engage with and share. Strong creator relationships, authentic storytelling and consistent engagement are becoming just as important as performances on the pitch when it comes to building global fan communities.

“As the new Premier League season approaches, digital influence has become another fiercely contested competition. Clubs that successfully connect with supporters online are putting themselves in a stronger position to grow their international audiences, attract commercial partnerships and create value far beyond matchday.”

SOFIAH NICHOLE SALIVIO

News Editor

Arcus Global has launched a software module to help councils administer the Building Safety Levy. Ten local authorities are already using it ahead of the levy’s introduction in October.

The levy is expected to raise about GBP £3.4 billion and will apply to certain new residential developments in England. Councils will have to calculate, collect and report the charge on behalf of central government, with the first national returns due in January 2027.

This adds another statutory task for planning and building control teams already managing a series of regulatory changes. The levy is intended to help fund repairs to building safety defects identified after the Grenfell Tower fire and examined in the Hackitt review.

Arcus developed the module in line with guidance from the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, with input from Local Authority Building Control and its user community. The product is available for immediate deployment by councils.

The software creates a levy record from a building control application and calculates the amount due based on the size of a development and local charging rates. It also applies discounts, including the 50% reduction for building on brownfield land, and prepares figures for submission to central government in the required format.

Accurate collection matters because local authorities must administer the levy without adding unnecessary manual work for staff. The module is designed to reduce re-keying and calculation before councils submit returns.

Administrative pressure

For councils, the challenge is not only complying with a new levy but doing so within a short timeframe. The October deadline for recording the charge comes before the first reporting deadline in January 2027, leaving authorities limited time to adapt systems and train staff.

The ten authorities now implementing the module have funded the work through Building Safety Levy burden funding. This suggests a wider effort across local government to use earmarked support to prepare for the scheme before the statutory deadlines take effect.

Arcus already supplies software to more than 60 local authorities across the UK. Its wider product range covers planning, building control, land charges, finance and regulatory services.

Because the Building Safety Levy tool sits within Arcus’s existing platform, councils already using its systems may find it easier to introduce than a separate product. This should limit disruption to current teams and workflows.

Supplier response

The levy’s arrival is also a test of how quickly technology suppliers can respond to policy changes in local government. New statutory obligations often require councils to change back-office systems at pace, particularly when reporting formats and charging rules are set nationally.

Denis Kaminskiy, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Arcus Global, outlined the company’s view of the pressure facing local authorities.

“Councils are being handed a brand-new statutory duty on a punishing timescale. We chose not to wait. Working with MHCLG and the building control community, we had a working solution ready months before the deadline, not bolted together at the last minute.

“Policy is changing faster than ever, and suppliers have a responsibility to keep pace and take pressure off local government, not add to it. We are proud to be among the first ready with a full solution, and prouder still that councils are already meeting their obligations ahead of the curve,” said Kaminskiy.

The Building Safety Levy reflects a broader shift in the relationship between central government policy and council operations. Local authorities are increasingly expected to administer complex national schemes while maintaining day-to-day planning and regulatory services.

For software suppliers, that creates a market for tools that can be added quickly to existing council systems. For councils, the decision is likely to depend on whether they can adapt current processes in time for October without increasing the burden on stretched planning and building control staff.

Ten authorities have already moved to put a system in place before the new charge takes effect.