16 Jan INDIVIDUALS RECOGNISED ON EFL COMMUNITY WEEKENDS!

Huddersfield Town Foundation, with support from Huddersfield Town, honoured nine individuals for their inspirational work and outstanding contributions to the community at Saturday’s game against Plymouth Argyle.

The Foundation was proud to support the English Football League’s (EFL) Community Weekends, which allows Club Charitable Foundations and Trusts with their Club to showcase and celebrate individuals who have battled against adversity or those who have assisted and supported the charity in their delivery to change lives for the better in their local community.

In conjunction with last weekend’s celebration, Huddersfield Town Foundation has selected several people who received the accolade of being championed as ‘Community Heroes’, with awards being handed out by the Club’s Chief Executive Officer Jake Edwards, as well as posing for a photo with the Foundation’s Chief Executive Officer Siobhan Atkinson and Chair of the Board Aidan Grills:

Rashida Salloo: Selected as a result of their ongoing work in the North Kirklees area to increase the participation of women from a South East Asian background in sport. Rashida does a magnificent job in supporting the Foundation with the Active Through Football programme, breaking down barriers to ensure this demographic can positively engage with sport and be supported to live and enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Helen Pearson: Head Teacher at Moldgreen Community Primary School, Helen is a massive advocate for the Town Foundation and has helped them to grow their work in the education sector. She is a massive Town fan, and she has seen firsthand the benefits of what the Foundation’s Premier League Primary Stars delivery has on the young people at Moldgreen.

Hamzah Haddouche: Previously, he was a participant on Premier League Kicks, a Foundation programme providing positive activities for young people to engage in on evenings in safe spaces. Hamzah’s natural progression has seen him, for the past two years, become a volunteer on sessions to give back after the positive impact on him. The Foundation has now secured Hamzah a place on a UEFA C Coaching course so that he can gain a formal qualification and progress to have an opportunity of paid employment with the charity.

Jeremy Meadowcroft: A casual coach staff member for the Foundation, Jeremy has spent the past 2 years devoting his Monday and Thursday evenings to work with the young people who attend the Foundation’s Premier League Kicks sessions. He has played a big role in the growth of the SEND and Women and Girls’ sessions and has had a positive impact on the participants and his fellow coaches. Jeremy has also completed our most recent Big Sleep Out event to raise money for Breakfast Clubs and local homelessness charities.

Finley: He is a participant of the Foundation’s Premier League Kicks Mentoring Programme, which is delivered at his school. Finley progressed onto a week-long work placement with Town’s Foundation in January of 2023 and, as a result, was selected to join the Ball Crew on match days at the John Smith’s Stadium. Finley has shown lots of engagement and commitment to the Foundation, which has had an impact on him, as seen both inside and outside of school. 

James Carter: Chosen for this long-term support and commitment to fundraising for the Town Foundation and other local charities. James has completed all six of the Big Sleep Out events to raise money for Breakfast Clubs and local homelessness charities. He has developed the nickname of the ‘Running Santa’ for raising almost £10,000 for various local foodbanks over the last three years by running 10k on each day of December dressed as Father Christmas.

Dave Bretton: A regular participant at the Foundation, Dave is now in remission after a battle with cancer. He is a true inspiration to his fellow Walking Football attendees, as he enjoys Town’s Foundation’s sessions on a Friday at 5CORE. He attends the session because of the camaraderie, and the help it provides to boost his morale.

Mihai: He arrived in Dewsbury as a non-English speaking teenager from Romania, who then faced isolation and bullying. After being diagnosed with psychosis in June 2020, Mihai has seen a large improvement in his mental health and confidence after attending the Foundation’s weekly Wellbeing Football, Premier League Kicks, and Head’s Up sessions, where he has been able to develop friendships.

Anne Firth: A member of the Foundation’s Fundraising and Events Committee, she has shown strong support to help with organising events from Fizz Friday, Big Sleep Out, and Wear Blue and White Day. She has also been an advocate of the Club’s fundraising events having completed Walk for Pounds.

Town’s Foundation’s CEO Siobhan Atkinson commented:

“It’s great to see that the Foundation and the Club have been able to collaborate to celebrate the amazing work that these individuals have done to make a difference in not just the community but to help us as an organisation. It is amazing to see how they personally gained from volunteering and the firsthand impact it has.

“We thank the EFL for giving us a platform to spotlight a selection of people, who are involved with and benefit from the work of the Foundation.”

If you would like to know more about the programmes that the Foundation run, please email help@htafcfoundation.com for more information.