Further details of Norwich City Football Club and Norwich City Community Sports Foundation’s Canaries COVID-19 Community Project can now be confirmed, as some of the early outreach activity has begun.
As previously announced, Daniel Farke, the players, and senior staff at the Football Club have donated some of their salaries, while owners and directors have also contributed to the amount raised, which totals over £200k.
The sum will be used by the Foundation and volunteers from the Football Club’s staff to support some of the most vulnerable people and causes in Norfolk who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19.
Over the course of the last week the first food packages were delivered to Mile Cross Primary School, where, in conjunction with Soul Church, they were distributed to vulnerable families in and around the local area.
A selection of Norwich City activity packs have also been supplied for families via New Routes Integration, who are a local charity that support and empower refugees, asylum seekers and migrants in the area.
Staff volunteers from across Norwich City’s finance, catering, academy and kit departments and more continue to help and aid the club’s wider community support.
Additional food parcels and other essential items are in the process of being delivered to those supporters who had requested help and assistance following the club’s initial phone calls to registered season ticket holders.
Club volunteers have also helped in collecting and delivering vital medication for those supporters in need over the recent period.
The club’s Head of Catering Stuart Cox, who is leading and coordinating an operation of staff volunteers across the project, said: “It has been a real team effort so far. With the help and guidance from the Community Sports Foundation, we’ve already been able to make a positive impact on our local community.
“There has been a real can-do attitude from the staff who’ve been willing to get involved and help support the project.”
Ian Thornton, Chief Executive Officer at the Community Sports Foundation, added: “Like many charities, these are very testing times for the Foundation, but we must continue to help our Community and through the Canaries COVID-19 Community Project we can have a significant impact.
“We already began working with and helping many of our participants as this pandemic began affecting normal life, but we are grateful for the donation from our players, the head coach, the executive team and the Club board so that we may take this support to the next level.
“So far, across the Club and Foundation, volunteers and staff have worked together with partnering organisations to do our best to get support to the front line and this will continue to expand as we identify the best ways to support those most in need.”