Preston North End embrace their multicultural fan base

/in , , /by

Preston North End Community and Education Trust have opened a multi-faith prayer room to allow supporters of all faiths and backgrounds to pray on home matchdays.

The prayer room is situated between blocks E and F on the Invicibles Pavilion and was unveiled for use for the first time ahead of Saturday’s fixture against Derby County.

The Mayor of Preston, Javed Iqbal, was present for the unveiling, as part of the club’s Kick It Out matchday activities to promote equality for everyone involved in football – fans, players and staff, alike.

Supporters in attendance on a home matchday whose ticket is not for the Invicibles Pavilion will be able to access the prayer room by contacting their nearest steward, who will escort supporters to the prayer room every 15 minutes.

The prayer room will be open from 90 minutes before kick-off, when the concourses open, through until full-time – allowing those who need to pray at certain times of the day to leave their seat during the game if necessary.

 

Mayor of Preston open the multi-faith prayer room. Credit: Ian Robinson/ Preston North End. 

Mo Patel – a practising Muslim supporter who volunteered on PNECET’s Ramadan initiative earlier in the year, and has since progressed to the role of casual Community Engagement Coordinator with the Trust – praised the initiative to open a prayer room.

He said: “Some supporters may have had to make a decision between choosing to pray and attending a match during certain parts of the season, due to the different times that their religion may determine that they need to pray.

“We believe that supporters of all faiths should not have to make that decision and we want to continue to break down all barriers that may prevent any of our existing fans from attending matches at Deepdale, while also encouraging members of our local community to show their support for PNE.

“The opening of the prayer room is another step in our continued work with ethnically diverse members of our community and we will continue to strive to make positive changes to make Deepdale the most welcoming and inclusive place as it possibly can be for all fans.”

Mayor of Preston, Javed Iqbal, added: “It’s an absolute pleasure and delight to open this multi-faith prayer room.

“I hope people will use it and it will help to bring more and more people to North End.”

As part of the Kick It Out matchday on Saturday, we welcomed Preston United Youth Development programme participants and their parents to watch the game against Derby County and take part in our half-time penalty shoot out.

Speaking about attending the game, a member of the parents’ group said: “It was an exhilarating experience, I really enjoyed it.

“I was really apprehensive at first but honestly I had a brilliant time. I was conscious about my headscarf but it wasn’t noticed and I’m definitely coming again.”

For more information about the prayer room, please contact [email protected].

 

 

Young people from Hartlepool boost the morale at a care home with NCS

/in , , /by

A young group from Hartlepool United came together to boost the morale of care home residents during the summer. The group chose to renovate the care home garden with an aim to create a positive impact upon the elderly residents, who welcomed the changes after suffering from intense Covid-19 restrictions.

The social action project decided by the young people whilst on NCS, was to help improve and renovate the garden of the Queen’s Meadow care home in Hartlepool. One of the members of the team, Elise Humble, reflected on the project:

“As a team we thought this would massively benefit the care home because of Covid-19 and the restrictions that were in place at the time, which encouraged people to go outside. This social action project would enable the residents to have a better place to go outside, and to even have time and a place to see family members.”

The group initially decided to ask the residents of the care home, to write down how the garden could be improved and placed them in “Care Boxes”. The group worked together to implement the changes, and created boxes containing items such as crosswords, soaps, pens and personalised notes for the care home.

The group then spent two days tidying up the garden, planting new flowers, and utilised their creativity skills, painting the plant boxes and personalising the rocks, bringing smiles to the elderly people during difficult circumstances. The group also decided to buy all items, such as the decorations from charity shops, so awareness could also be raised there.

“The care packages delivered will put a smile on the residents faces. We included a personalised note in each care package, so they knew who it was from and why they were receiving it.”

Elise stated that her time within NCS on the Social Action Project not only benefited the residents within the care home, but also herself and her group members:

“I wasn’t a very confident person and I thought participating would help make develop my communication skills and it would help me meet new people. The experience I gained from NCS has helped me become more confident, and better at communicating with others. We completed tasks where we were talking to members of the public, which would usually be out of my comfort zone, but doing so has helped improve my social skills.”

Elise has mentioned how her newfound confidence has also helped her with talking to larger groups:

“Due to my new confidence, I have now joined the college debate club, which is something completely out of my comfort zone, but thanks to NCS I felt more able to push myself that extra mile.”

“NCS has helped me gain lots of new friends and people to talk to, and it was nice doing something to improve our community with a group of great friends. The NCS experience on a whole was amazing, I would definitely recommend it to others and encourage them to do it too as it was so much fun, it helped me in improving so many skills.”

FIT OWLS removed Derek’s fear of future illness

/in , /by

“In relation to my health the future is a lot brighter!”

FIT OWLS allowed Derek to make maintainable changes to his lifestyle amidst fear of history repeating itself.

Derek Wright has had a torrid time of ill health, in 2015 he required a total knee replacement and just 2 years later was diagnosed with prostate cancer before having it removed. A year after his diagnosis and prostate removal he started the grueling process of radiotherapy. To add further to the unimaginable constant of bad health in the same year, 2018, he contracted deep vein thrombosis in his leg.

These 4 years of serious health issues meant Derek was aware that he needed to do something to ensure it was not repeated. His weight reached 20 stone, and this was the milestone that forced him into change via FIT FANS.

Average weight loss statistics for the FIT FANS programme are impressive and exceed those of many other programmes. On average women lose well over 3kg and men over 5.5kg by the end of the 12 weeks. We also have evidence that lifestyle change and weight loss is sustained over the following 12 months. More than 90% of men and 85% of women lose weight during the programme with many losing a clinically significant amount.  Our data shows FIT FANS helps people to increase physical activity, reduce sedentary time, leading to weight loss, a significant reduction in blood pressure and improvement in self-reported mental wellbeing measures.

In 2020, he joined the FIT FANS initiative at his club, Sheffield Wednesday. The programme has educated Derek on his dietary and exercise habits and with these small changes, he now commits to walking every day whilst being aware of the food he eats.

He comments: ” I wanted a realistic plan that I could take forward into my new healthy lifestyle. Weight loss was important, but I wanted a strategy that would delivered in a clear and understandable message. It was a bonus that it was delivered at my football club!”

Having lost a total of 31.5kg and reduced his previously dangerous BMI to 28.6, Derek is now supported by the FIT OWLS maintenance programme and attends other weekly clubs hosted by Sheffield Wednesday to continue his progress physically, mentally and socially.

Find out more about FIT FANS

Mens Health Month; How Fit Fans Is Providing Benefits Beyond Weight Loss

/in , /by

Today marks the beginning of Mens Health Awareness Month. Football Clubs have a unique draw that allows us to reach people that other organisations struggle to engage.  This is particularly true of our FIT FANS programme, which uses the draw of the Football Club to enable people to make sustainable changes that improves their health.

Funded by Sport England through the National Lottery and run at around 40 EFL Clubs across the country. It is a free health programme for men and women aged 35-65 who are looking to lose weight, get fitter and lead a more active life.

Average weight loss statistics for the FIT FANS programme are impressive and exceed those of many other programmes. On average women lose well over 3kg and men over 5.5kg by the end of the 12 weeks. We also have evidence that lifestyle change and weight loss is sustained over the following 12 months. More than 90% of men and 85% of women lose weight during the programme with many losing a clinically significant amount.  Our data shows FIT FANS helps people to increase physical activity, reduce sedentary time, leading to weight loss, a significant reduction in blood pressure and improvement in self-reported mental wellbeing measures.

However, the benefits extend much further than just weight loss, with many participants commenting on the positive effects it has had on their mental health and social activity.

Stephen Snell attended FIT FANS with Charlton Athletic Community Trust credits the programme for “changing his life” as he lost over 2 stone in weight and adopted a healthier diet and exercise regime.

Furthermore, FIT FANS has the ability to indirectly help those close to participants too. FIT BANTAMS gave Jonathan’s children a fitter, happier dad after he completed the 12-week programme. He said: “I now play football with my kids on a regular basis and my family, friends and colleagues have all mentioned how much more relaxed I am.”

The programme brings a diverse group of individuals together to form an environment that mirrors that of a family.  A FIT ROVERS participant echoes:  “Taking part in FIT ROVERS was the best thing I’ve ever done. The sessions and workouts are brilliant, but the camaraderie and banter is even better. I lost over a stone and a half but even more importantly, I feel like I’ve learned to enjoy myself again and that people like me, which has made me like myself again.”

In 2020, the programme won the Leaders in Sports Community Award which showcases the most innovative organisations and people driving the sports industry forward.

Kickstart Provides a Gateway into Employment for Recent Graduate Isobel

/in , /by

Despite attaining a first-class degree, Isobel, like countless of other young university graduates, struggled with entering the workplace during the pandemic. However, with the assistance of the Kickstart Scheme, Isobel was offered the opportunity to work with the Bristol City Robins Foundation.

After graduating from a degree in English Literature, Isobel had to endure over 6 months of strenuous job searching, applying to ‘hundreds of jobs’, including admin, reception, and supermarket jobs, with mostly no replies and no encouragement.

“I was told by employers that I wasn’t experienced enough for graduate/entry level jobs in media. Finding work as a graduate in the middle of the pandemic was impossible, even though I had a first-class degree.”

Isobel’s luck changed when she encountered the Kickstart programme, which provided the perfect opportunity for her to gain exposure to the working environment.

Joining the Bristol City Robins Foundation as a Video Producer, Isobel was driven to finally apply herself within employment. Her role encompassed producing all the promotional and human-impact stories within the community. This involved filming and editing, directing photoshoots, training junior video staff, interviewing players, managers, and even the Mayor of Bristol, Marvin Rees.

“I gained further professional experience as a video producer and as a member of a fast-paced media team. I learned how the world of football media works. It’s given me more confidence in my technical abilities, so I felt qualified when applying for video production jobs.”

Equipped with newfound skills, experiences, and confidence, Isobel is now onto the next chapter, after securing employment with American multinational broadcast company A+E Networks in London.

“I loved working with the Robins Foundation, and I learnt so much. It was great to be given a lot of freedom in my work. When I first started, I felt like I’d been thrown in the deep end, in the best way possible, and because of this, I’ve learnt so much.”

Click here to find out more about Kickstart.

Lincoln City’s Conversation Club helps Quenia succeed in England

/in , /by

Lincoln City Foundation’s Conversation Club has allowed Brazilian native, Quenia to progress her nursing career in England.

Conversation Club is a free initiative hosted by Lincoln City Foundation to aid those who do not consider English as their first language. It was identified as a barrier for those in the local community to feel integrated and part of society and instead left them unsettled and isolated. However, through funding from the National Lottery, Conversation Club can tackle and help irradicate these societal barriers of inclusion.

Quenia joined the classes after settling in Lincoln, a vast World away from her home in Brazil but was understandably reserved when participating in open discussions due to her lack of confidence in conversing in English. As she consistently attended the club, Quenia’s belief and self-confidence continuously rose as she made friends.

In order to ensure this upwards trajectory continued to be nurtured, she secured a voluntary role in a Charity shop so she could regularly practice speaking with customers. All this effort, hard-work and determination meant after 9 months of attending the Conversation Club Quenia was successful in being accepted for a Care Assistant role similar to her profession in Brazil.

As Lincoln have adapted to a new hybrid way of delivery, this service has been made accessible to those far and wide with both in person and online sessions. Consequently, not only can residents of Lincoln attend but even those who reside in countries all over the World.

FIT FANS gave Jonathan’s children a fitter, happier dad

/in , , /by

The pandemic caused many of us to fall into a pit of anxiety and stress and for Jonathan Sutcliffe this was no different. To combat these overriding emotions, he turned to increase his workload and left little time to look after himself or spend time with his children.

As he noticed this trend, he came across Bradford City Community Foundation’s FIT BANTAMS on Facebook but remained apprehensive for a while even after attending the programme, but he credits the staff’s approach to ensure all participants are welcomed.

FIT BANTAMS is a sector of the EFL Trust FIT FANS programme, which is funded by Sport England through the National Lottery and run at around 40 EFL Clubs across the country.

With the programmes approach to education and adaptation through small, manageable changes Jonathan first notably saw his step count increase from just an average of 500 per day to 20,000 per day.

“I am now doing regular 3-mile walks, attending the weekly FIT BANTAMS football session every week and playing football with the kids a lot more.”

But most importantly, through exercise and playing sport with his children, his stress levels decreased so not only has his life benefited from these changes, but his kids now have a more active, happier dad.

“I now play football with my kids on a regular basis and my family, friends and colleagues have all mentioned how much more relaxed I am.”

Although Jonathan’s successes extended to both his working and personal life, he has also seen drastic developments in his weight. His weight has dropped by a stone, and it has continued in this steady trajectory as Jonathan is at his lowest weight in over a decade.

 

Find out more about FIT FANS here

Through the Government’s Kickstart scheme, Victoria was given a way back into work

/in , , /by

Like many young people during the pandemic, Victoria Conboy spent several months out of work, before being employed as an Admin Officer with Wigan Athletic Community Trust, through the government’s Kickstart programme in May this year.

For Victoria, the opportunity to get back into work with Wigan Athletic Community Trust, through the Kickstart programme, provided her with a positive moment during a difficult time for the 20-year-old:

“I found the pandemic quite difficult as I couldn’t see my family at a time when I lost two of my aunties, and I was unable to grieve properly or attend their funerals. I think if I didn’t have my dog during this tough time of feeling isolated, it could have been a lot worse.”

“But when I got this job, it allowed me to go out and see people and have a bit of normality back in my life, this helped me greatly.”

In partnership with the EFL Trust, Latics are one of 65 EFL clubs involved in the programme across the country that is offering six-month job roles to young people, aged 16-24, claiming Universal Credit.

“My experience with Wigan Athletic Community Trust has been better than I could have imagined.”

Now nearly five months into her role, Victoria is one of seven young people in current employment with Wigan Athletic Community Trust through the programme and explains how it’s benefited her so far.

“I have had a similar role to this before, so I knew I couple pick it up quickly. Everyone is really kind, helpful and offer me any support when I need it.”

“It’s also given me more confidence when speaking to people over the phone and in person too.”

Alongside the Kickstart scheme, Wigan Athletic Community Trust also provides several educational opportunities and sports qualifications for young people through its current Training and Skills, including a Level 2 and Level 3 Football and Education programme and Two-Year Foundation Degree with the University of South Wales.

For further information on the Kickstart programme please click here

JORDAN RHODES VISITS ORCHARD PRIMARY BREAKFAST CLUB!

/in , , , /by

As we reflect on Saturday’s World Food Day, Orchard Primary Academy’s Breakfast Club received a surprise visit form Huddersfield Town striker, Jordan Rhodes.

The school in Chickenley, Dewsbury, is one of 41 Kirklees schools to have a Breakfast Club facilitated by the football club’s registered charity, the Town Foundation. A reflection of an unprecedented year cannot be more prevalent than on World Food Day whereby many families have struggled to ensure they were able to provide food.

A study from academics at the University of Sheffield using food poverty statistics collated by the Food Foundation found a staggering 12.02% of adults in Kirklees were worried about having enough food.

Not only do these projects provide vital food and nourishment to those most in need but also allow children the safe space to socialise. Jordan joined in with the children in attendance playing a variety of games with them as well as allowing them time to talk and ask questions.

The Town Foundation continues to support their local community through a variety of initiatives and partnerships such like their work with the Salvation Army in Mirfield to provide food parcels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

These have been distributed to 270 families identified as being most in need by the Foundation’s partner schools thus far, with families of Orchard Primary Academy among the beneficiaries.

Corrin scores job with Burton Albion Community Trust
/in , /by

Burton Albion Community Trust’s first Kickstart appointment was Corrin Sheldon, 24 from Burton upon Trent.

Corrin joined the team as Kickstart administration assistant, bringing with her previous experience from the leisure and hospitality industry.

After 6 months with Burton Albion Community Trust working across various scopes of work, Corrin is joining the trust full time this month as Community Business Administrator.

“During my Kickstart placement I have been working across Health and Wellbeing, Football in the Community and the general business, doing a range of different tasks. These included helping out on the weekly over 50’s sessions by creating quizzes, supporting our wellbeing walks and undertaking general administrative tasks. I have also helped at the vaccine centre and other sessions across the trust which I have thoroughly enjoyed.”

Corin has now been offered a full-time position with BACT as a Community Business Administrator within the facilities team. Her ultimate goal is to go into management. BACT and the Kickstart scheme has given her the opportunity to work towards a Level 2 in Leadership and Team Skills.

“Thank you BACT for everything you have done!”

Sarah Evans, Education and Employability Manager, said,

“Corrin’s story is a huge success for both her and Burton Albion Community Trust. Being able to utilise the Kickstart scheme has provided Corrin with an opportunity to help her reach her goals.”

“The pandemic has been difficult for many people, its been great to see Corrin grow in confidence. She’s a Burton Albion person and we are excited to see her career continue to grow with Burton Albion Community Trust.”