Blues unveil blueprint to become world No1

Chief executive Peter Kenyon wants Chelsea to be the number one club in the world inside the next seven years.

Kenyon revealed his aim after launching Chelsea’s first ever Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) report and a link up with a new worldwide charity partner at the House of Commons.

Their report was unveiled in front of a distinguished audience that included cabinet ministers, MPs and dignitaries from football.

Kenyon, several players and coach Jose Mourinho also revealed the full extent of the club’s commitment to its community, charities and social, economic and environmental responsibilities during the 2005/6 season.

But Kenyon says the CSR forms an integral part of the club’s vision which he hopes will make them internationally recognised as the world’s number one by 2014.

Kenyon declared: “We believe it is the first time a top football club has drawn together and presented all of its work that comes under the CSR banner.

“CSR is an integral part of our vision. That vision, which runs through the club, is that by 2014 we want to be recognised internationally as the world’s number one football club.

“Not only do we want to be a successful team on the field, but we also want to make a difference off it.

“We want to be seen as a social leader, as well as an industry leader, through an identifiable series of programmes that create a legacy at home and abroad.

“Cynics might say that CSR is a way of picking up cheap PR points or that it is expected that football should do ’good’. But at Chelsea we do it because we believe fundamentally that it is the right thing to do, not because it is expected.”

Minister for Sport Richard Caborn endorsed Chelsea’s report and added: “I welcome the publication of Chelsea’s CSR Report as an example of what clubs are achieving, not only within their own communities but now on a wider scale.

“The importance of sport cannot be over estimated as a vehicle for delivering healthy lifestyles and social inclusion and Chelsea’s work cuts across many Government departments.”

The report revealed that Chelsea invested £4.34m (€6.6m) in its CSR strategy last season, 2.8% of the company’s annual turnover. This included raising more than £1.5m (€2.28m) for charity. A recent United Nations report advised companies to contribute 0.7% of turnover to CSR.

The next stage of Chelsea’s CSR strategy was also unveiled at the launch – a first Global Charity Partnership with ‘Right to Play’.

Right to Play is a unique international humanitarian organisation that uses sport and play to overcome war, poverty and disease. It works with major international organisations such as UNICEF, UNHCR and the International Red Cross.

Kenyon added: “We are particularly proud of our new Global Charity Partnership with Right to Play. With Chelsea’s help, we hope Right to Play will become one of the most recognisable names in the international charity community. Our partnership slogan is ‘when children play, the world wins’ and players, management, staff and fans will be doing everything we can to achieve that.”

The Right to Play link-up was also hailed by Chelsea and England captain John Terry.

He said: “I’m proud to be captain of this club and proud of what we have achieved on and off the pitch.

“All the players at Chelsea play a part in promoting the club’s community and charity activities.

“As footballers we know we can play an important role and have a responsibility to help kids in England and around the world in their health, fitness and education.”