Derby County Football Club and Derby County Community Trust are supporting the homeless community this Christmas. Many of the Community Trust’s participants have experienced homelessness, and now they are in the position to help those in the circumstances they once were.
The generous donations of the Derby County players have started the collection, which is running from Monday 25th November and culminates in the main drive at this weekend’s Sky Bet Championship home fixture against Queens Park Rangers at Pride Park Stadium.
You can help by bringing food, toiletries or clothing donations to the fixture on Saturday 30th November (3pm kick-off), where collection points will be located outside the DCFCMegastore and by The Yard from 12:30pm on the day.
The Rams will welcome donations of tinned goods: meatballs, ravioli, rice pudding, fish, fruit, meat, vegetables, soup, chopped tomatoes, baked beans/spaghetti hoops; dry goods: instant mash, gravy granules, sugar, pasta, flour, rice, coffee, drinking chocolate, tea and breakfast cereal; toiletries: shaving foam, shampoo, shower gel, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary products; and unused underwear.
Throughout this week (25th-29th November) you can bring donations in the lead-up to the Queens Park Rangers fixture to the Derby County Community Trust Office (14 Pride Point Drive, Derby), the Derby County Ticket Office presented by SeatGeek, the Back Yard Coffee Shop or the DCFCMegastore.
All donations will be distributed equitably between five organisations in the city: Derby City Mission, Padley Centre, Derby Hope Centre, Derby Refugee Centre and Jericho House.
Derby City Mission give out nearly 1,000 emergency food parcels each year along with providing overnight shelter and nutritious breakfasts for all those who stay with them.
The Padley Centre, long-established in Derby, issue over 2,000 food parcels annually, along with producing over 20000 meals a year. Every day they support up to 100 residents with their hostel.
Derby Hope Centre supply on average 75 emergency food parcels a week to those in crisis along with providing weekly lunches.
The Derby Refugee Centre advises asylum seekers and refugees, along with the provision of emergency food and toiletries for those with no means of support.
Jericho House is a residential addiction recovery centre that support males to overcome drug dependency and caters for them whilst they are in their care.
Adam Rowley, Active Choices Team Leader at Derby County Community Trust, said: “Many Active Choices participants have used one or more of these organisations to support their recovery and as part of the football club we have no excuse to not rally support for these fantastic causes.
“We hope to implement this collection annually and with the support of Derby County fans we will be able to make a real difference to those on the streets, and also to working families who are living in poverty this Christmas.
“If every supporter at the Queens Park Rangers fixture could donate one item, the difference we could make to the local community would be immeasurable.”
The average food parcel caters for one person for three days and contains up to six tins of food, cereal, long-life milk, dried foodstuff – usually pasta or rice, and often toiletries where needed.
Collection points at the Derby County Ticket Office, the Back Yard and the DCFCMegastore are open until Friday, with all further donations being accepted at Saturday’s game.
For more information please contact community@dcct.co.uk or call 01332 416140.