On Saturday, a selection of volunteers, participants and staff members will be recognised for their hard work over the last year.
This season the EFL have launched ‘EFL Community Weekends’, taking place this coming weekend. The Community Weekend activation aims to show the breadth and depth of club community work during these weekends to match-going fans across the EFL, providing a platform for clubs to celebrate their community heroes on a matchday in front of fans.
This weekend we have invited our nominated community heroes to attend the game and receive an award pre match. Please meet the nominated community heroes below:
Paul Saunders
Paul has been an integral part of our Premier League Kicks Programme, offering his trusted coaching presence to our participants around the Northampton area, all year round. Paul continues to support young ones to thrive at our football sessions with the intention as a result connecting communities and improve the lives of individuals.
Mark Seymour
Mark is one of the most integral members of the Northampton Town Community Trust staff team and a key pillar of the local community. He has delivered on various programmes from health and wellbeing, inclusion, multi disability and education around the county for over 10 years. Mark’s dedication to making a difference in the local community continues to inspire all those around him, after working with him over the last four and a half years, Mark has helped over 150 participants lose weight, help raise over £27,000 as a founding member of the Claret Mountaineers and coached over 200 children at the multi-disability football club and NTFC Soccer Schools.
Russell Ball
Russell has been a volunteer at our Multi-Disability Football Club for the last 15 years. The club offers pan disability coaching and playing opportunities for all ages giving participants a provision to sport in a welcoming environment. With now over 70 participants attending on a weekly basis, volunteers such as Russell are integral to the success of the programme.
Joanne Spenceley
Joanne has run our weekly Monday Night Legends sessions for several years now on a voluntary basis helping to run and grow the sessions. Monday Night Legends is a friendly and supportive group of women of various ages who get together on Monday nights for an informal game of football, without Joanne this wouldn’t be possible.
Luke Lawrence
Luke is a matchday volunteer who has over gone above and beyond whenever asked and has also run the soup station through the cold months on matchdays. He originally came through our employability project and has excelled in his various matchday roles.
Simon Dadd
Simon has been Chairman of the Powerchair Football team for a number of years helping to grow the club to what it is today. Powerchair Football is a sport that provides opportunities for people with a high level of physical impairment to access the game of football. It is the only active team participation sport for people who use powerchairs. His exemplary work deserves recognition alongside the rest of our Community Heroes this weekend.
Congratulations to all of our Community Heroes and thank you for all you do!