Richard Luscombe Argyle Community Trust are proud to announce a successful first six months of a ground-breaking new fan programme, thanks to a Premier League Fans Fund grant.
Located in the new Fan Zone at Home Park since January, the Trust provided a variety of extra events, activities, and training opportunities on every home matchday, targeted at enhancing the awareness and understanding of underrepresented groups within our local communities.
The wide variety of opportunities included:
- Education activators for Club and Trust staff working on a matchday and beyond.
- The presence of local organisations offering support and advice.
- Collaborative working with organisations to actively develop the offer to the local community.
- And much more.
One of the main initiatives of the new programme was to positively impact targeted fan groups present on matchdays, which was achieved with 2,013 fans and members of the local community engaging with the Fan Zone.
There were opportunities for younger fans to engage in physical activity and volunteering experiences at Argyle, further enhancing the matchday offer for fans. Nearly 50% of all attendees were young people who got involved with the sport and physical education offered by Trust staff.
The Trust ensured equal opportunities from arrival to departure, including pre-and post-match experiences, to disabled fans and different ethnic and minority groups.
Four workshops have been hosted to support Club and Trust staff to further improve their understanding of under-represented groups and allow more meaningful customer service and experiences at Home Park.
The Trust offered match day and non-match day activities and awareness events by collaborating with 13 local organisations to highlight local and national programmes such as Argyle Pride, Devon Cricket, Age UK, the NHS, and Plymouth Deaf Society.
Stew Walbridge, the Trust’s Head of Participation, said: “We are pleased to diversify our offering on a matchday to engage with a variety of fan groups, that are known to be underrepresented at football matches.
“The programme aims to broaden our fanbase and provide equal opportunities to all and by doing this, it will help to improve their experience on a matchday. We can’t thank the Premier League enough for their Fans Fund grant, which has allowed us to positively impact the matchday of underrepresented fans.”
Josh, a Trust volunteer with a disability, said: “Working in the Fan Zone for the club that I support, and love is a dream come true, being able to engage with fans like myself and support young people to be physically active is amazing.
“Giving back to the club that has given so much to me was a no brainer and I’ve really enjoyed being part of the match day team!”
Activities will continue in the first half of the 2024/25 Sky Bet Championship season, with organisations like Age UK, Devon Cricket, and Plymouth Deaf Society returning, alongside new partners.
For more information on the programme and how to get involved with activities and events in the Fan Zone for the upcoming season, please contact Stew Walbridge, at stewart.walbridge@pafc.co.uk.
