In November we concluded another hugely successful EFL Week of Action.
The EFL Week of Action is an annual campaign run by the English Football League that celebrates the impact football clubs have on their communities.
On Monday we kickstarted the week with a Premier League Inspires session at Lipson Co-operative Academy which was attended by Argyle first-team players Bali Mumba and Matthew Sorinola.
PL Inspires uses the power of football to inspire young people aged 11 to 18 to develop the personal skills and positive attitudes needed to succeed in life.
The session started with a team-building exercise where participants were tasked to make the most creative structure possible using only Spaghetti and marshmallows. The students showcased their creativity and of course, Mumba and Sorinola got involved!
We ended the session with a themed Q&A, designed around inspiring, the importance of teamwork, and a positive attitude.
For more information on our PL Inspires sessions, you can contact Tallan.mitchell@pafc.co.uk.
On Tuesday we highlighted our Walk and Talk and Compassionate Café sessions.
Our Walk and Talk and Compassionate Café sessions aim to reduce isolation and increase activity levels amongst older people.
Meeting at the Life Centre, our participants enjoyed a leisurely walk around Central Park and were accompanied by Argyle Academy players Toby Haley, Malachai Davey, and Tegan Finn for a friendly chat.
To conclude the day, participants met at Central Park Hub for our Compassionate Café session. We hold Compassionate Café once a week on a Tuesday for men and women who may be experiencing loneliness or bereavement.
Meeting once a week enables participants to socialise and connect with others and can give people a much-needed boost.
For more info, please email ben.kerswell@pafc.co.uk.
Wednesday brought us to Manadon Sports and Community Hub for one of our Post 16 team’s fixtures against Reading.
The team were joined by first-team players Morgan Whittaker and Adam Randell, who delivered an inspirational team talk on the importance of teamwork and dedication.
It was a great way for Post 16 players to connect with the first team.
The Post 16 Football and Education programme is a two-year, full-time education and football development programme delivered in partnership with professional and non-league football clubs.
Boys and Girls aged 16 to 18 work towards a BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma alongside a comprehensive football scholarship giving them the chance to continue playing football, whilst getting a good education.
On Thursday we held another Post 16 session. This time at Harpers Football Centre, we were joined by Argyle first-teamers Dan Grimshaw and Ryan Hardie who shared their knowledge with the participants.
The session focused on the importance of communication and overcoming adversity, something which professional footballers deal with on a daily basis.
The pair got stuck into the classroom activities and provided the class with some strong advice for the future.
For information on our Plymouth Post 16 programme, please contact daniel.yeoman@pafc.co.uk, for our Cornwall programme, please contact mike.foley@pafc.co.uk, and our Newton Abbott programme, please contact matt.scholes@pafc.co.uk
To bring the Week of Action to a close we gifted tickets to 10 PL Kicks participants for our Friday night Sky Bet Championship home game against Watford which ended in a dramatic late 2-2 draw!
Argyle Community Trust Chief Executive Officer Mark Lovell said: “We would like to thank everyone for making this year's EFL Week of Action a success.”
“Whilst our work continues all year long, it is a great way to highlight and showcase the phenomenal work EFL clubs continue to provide to their local communities.
“Thank you to our participants, staff, sponsors and to the EFL for enabling us to continue our work.”
In response to community projects delivered by Clubs and Club Community Organisations, 89% of participants reported improved feelings of social connectedness and 76% reported improved enjoyment of sport and physical activity.
5.5 million hours of support is provided, and more than 890,878 hours of work is delivered per season by dedicated staff and volunteers in local communities.
To find out more about the trust’s work, you can read our 2023/24 impact report below.
argylecommunitytrust.co.uk/an-award-winning-year-argyle-community-trust-release-2023-24-impact-report/