Local heroes from EFL clubs have been recognised and celebrated for the impact they make in their communities as part of the EFL’s Community Weekends, which has taken place from Saturday, February 22 to Sunday, March 3.
Chesterfield FC Community Trust has named five Community Heroes for their service to the local area and/or on matchdays, helping to provide a great matchday experience for Spireites fans.
The five nominees are: Lauren Speed, Oli Barnes, Olly Parkinson, Lewis Sutcliffe and Helen Hearnshaw.
At half-time in Chesterfield’s home fixture against Crewe Alexandra on Saturday, our five nominees will be presented with a pennant to recognise their achievement and their efforts in the community.
Lauren is a matchday volunteer who looks after mascots by taking them to meet players and play on the pitch, as well as providing a tour of the SMH Group Stadium.
Lauren said: “As an avid Spireites supporter, home and away, the club means the world to me. I’m thankful to have made friends and relationships that will last a lifetime through working with the club over the last 10+ years.
“I love my role working with mascots on matchdays, giving children and their parents memories to cherish. It’s incredible to see their dreams come true, meeting their favourite players, and having pictures. I’m beyond proud to be working as part of the Trust, and long may it continue!”
Oli hosts the Trust’s Buddy Buddy sessions, which gives forces veterans a place to meet up once a month at the HUB.
Oli said: “After leaving the army, I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Having the opportunity to volunteer and then work for the Trust has just been incredible.
“To be able to impact people’s lives and put smiles on faces of people in our community… it’s not a job at all, it’s a gift.”
Olly is the Trust’s adult wellbeing lead, with a range of roles, taking the lead on ‘Senior Spireites’ for people aged 55+, ‘A Spire Right’ for people recovering from substance misuse and ‘Active for Life’ for people who have suffered with or currently suffer with mental health problems.
On his role, Olly said: “I have been working at the Trust for nearly four years. I work with people from all walks of life, and I feel privileged to be able to contribute to helping them embed a healthier lifestyle.
“Working for the Trust is extremely rewarding and not something I envisaged doing but now I couldn’t see myself doing anything else.”
Lewis is an apprentice community officer at the Trust, working in schools to deliver interventions and PE lessons amongst other responsibilities.
Lewis said: “Chesterfield FC is a very special club, and it holds a special place in my heart. They give me the opportunities to help people who need it, just as they helped me when I needed it the most.
“The Trust helps people from so many backgrounds, from the ages of two all the way up to the Senior Spireites group.”
Helen is an AAA Screening technician for Royal Derbyshire Hospital, based in Chesterfield. She screens men aged 65, in the community, for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms, across Derbyshire.
Helen spoke about the Trust’s help during the Covid pandemic, saying: “The Trust kindly offered us the NHS AAA Screening Programme and the use of a room to screen our patients during Covid. Providing a Covid-safe alternative to the hospital was a big hit with our patients and now we continue to use the Trust’s facilities on a weekly basis.
“I now work in the Trust’s ticket office, on matchdays, distributing discounted tickets to schools and community projects.”
During the 2023/24 season, EFL Football club charities delivered 438,033 sessions across 801,661 hours with an average of 6,084 sessions and 11,134 hours of support per club.