Southampton Football Club’s charity arm revealed it engaged 6,511 people across the city, with 5,545 achieving a positive outcome.

The charity said its work generated £10.46 million in social value, meaning that for every £1 spent on its projects, £6.46 of value was returned to the city.

Social value is a measure used to assess and quantify the wider benefits created by charitable and community work.

It takes into account outcomes such as improved mental well-being, employment prospects, stronger social connections and greater independence.

These outcomes can also lead to savings for public services, including the NHS, police and welfare system.

Saints Foundation said positive outcomes vary for each participant and are defined on an individual basis, depending on goals and circumstances.

This year, the charity has focused on the role of connection in its work, whether between participants and staff, among participants themselves, or between football supporters and community projects.

Participants described the charity as “a place where you can express yourself without being judged and where you don’t feel lonely”.

According to the charity, its projects during the season helped 3,386 people improve their mental wellbeing, supported 2,607 people to raise their aspirations and enabled 2,674 people to build stronger and more positive connections.

Examples highlighted by Saints Foundation included older adults regaining confidence and independence after experiencing falls, and young people accessing work placements they may otherwise have been overlooked for.

The charity also pointed to individual stories behind the figures, such as a 72 year old Senior Saints participant completing the Big Saints Skydive, and a teenage girl who joined the foundation while struggling with her mental health before later becoming a casual member of staff.

One mother, speaking about her daughter’s experience, said: “It wasn’t until she started working with Saints Foundation that I really got her back.”