CLUBS GET SET FOR ACTION DAY

Community work in spotlight

ALL 72 clubs will come together to highlight the work undertaken to tackle some of society’s biggest issues for the EFL’s Day of the Action 2019.

On Tuesday, EFL clubs across the Sky Bet Championship, League One and League Two will each host events designed to showcase the very best of their work to tackle a diverse range of social issues, from homelessness and mental health, to community cohesion and the battle against plastic pollution.

Up and down the country, managers and players from all the clubs will also be attending events to pay special visits to participants and turn their hand to some of the activities taking place throughout the day.

All the good work that happens at EFL clubs throughout the year sometimes goes under the radar, so this is an ideal day to showcase how clubs play a positive role in their communities.

Aston Villa’s Albert Adomah has been distributing essential supplies to homeless people in Birmingham. The Villa star joined the Outreach Angels – a group of local volunteers – to hand out hot food, toiletries and warm clothing.

Risk

On Tuesday, Bolton Wanderers will be showcasing their ‘Inside Out’ Programme which aims to reduce the risk of offending by 17-25-year-olds in the local area through positive activities such as sport and exercise

Luton Town interim boss Mick Harford will be welcoming the club’s Every Player Counts disability players to the training ground for a unique coaching session whilst Walsall players will be giving out 300 tickets and t-shirts to local schoolchildren as part of the club’s commitment to engaging with the younger generation of fans in the area.

Cambridge United have been recognised nationally for improving mental health literacy in young people. The ‘Mind Your Head’ project raises awareness about mental health, tackles stigma and promotes good mental health, whilst crucially helping secondary school pupils understand and manage their own mental health, avoiding potential issues in the future.

It’s just a small sample of some of the important work due to take place during the EFL’s Day of Action by EFL club community organisations the largest network of sporting charities in the UK. The EFL and their clubs invested £80m in communities in 2018.

Special

EFL chief executive Shaun Harvey said: “The EFL Day of Action brings together all 72 clubs to highlight the special role they play in enhancing the lives of millions of people around the country.

“The scale of ground-breaking projects across our network of clubs continues to grow yearon-year and their delivery is integral to our aims of improving lives in a range of areas, including homelessness, education and health.”