The EFL today marks its fifth Day of Action, where all 72 clubs across three divisions come together to demonstrate the positive impact of community-based projects in football.
Clubs will join forces in a range of community activities including food bank deliveries, projects to tackle loneliness and mental health, support programmes for refugees and asylum seekers, initiatives for children living in poverty, and disability sports sessions.
Despite the financial and logistical challenges that EFL clubs have faced during the last 12 months, community work has remained at the heart of football, providing vital support to some of the most vulnerable people living in England and Wales.
Since March 2020 when the first lockdown began, EFL clubs have collectively distributed over 1.4 million food parcels, more than 179,000 items of PPE, 22,000 prescriptions and donated over 2,100 laptops and tablets to people facing technology poverty.
Club staff and their players have had in excess of 527,000 outgoing and incoming conversations with fans and vulnerable people, and over 600 job opportunities are being delivered for young unemployed people.
Using the power of football, the EFL is able to engage some of the most vulnerable members of society to address important issues in the areas of equalities, diversity and inclusion, education, employment and health and wellbeing.
Rick Parry, Chair of the EFL, said: “The way that our clubs and community programmes have adapted to deal with the challenges of the past year is remarkable, responding to the growing needs of their communities affected by the pandemic while also continuing to deliver critical life-changing programmes in towns and cities across England and Wales to people who need it most.
“The EFL Day of Action gives us a platform to step back and take the time to acknowledge the hard work that our clubs are doing in their communities every day of the year.
“Community work delivered by football clubs is without a doubt one of the key mechanisms in helping to address important societal issues with the aim of building stronger, healthier, active, more cohesive communities.
“It’s great to see all 72 EFL clubs come together to highlight the power of football in uniting people and working for the greater good.”
The Owls and our Community Programme will be delivering two separate projects on this Day of Action, will full details to follow…