As the second national lockdown gets underway across England, Derby County Football Club and Derby County Community Trust will continue to ensure fans can stay safe, fit and connected.
Since April, the club have been accepting kind donations from the public to support the city’s food banks. From the start of the pandemic to September over 130,000 items of food were distributed to individuals and families in need.
The burden on families is getting more difficult still with a 142% increase in universal credit applications in Derby and an unemployment rate increase of over 15%.
Derby has been classified as the third most affected city in the country as a result of the pandemic (Centre for Cities – leading think tank).
Whilst the DCFCMegastore is closed in line with government restrictions we are reopening the weekly food donation hub at Pride Park Stadium. It will be open from 11:00am-2:00pm every Thursday in November (12th, 19th and 26th).
Operating from the Main Reception, all donations will be contactless and staff will all be wearing relevant PPE and abiding by all social distancing rules.
Kind donations of dried and tinned goods will be gratefully accepted and distributed to those in need. You can find a list of much appreciated supplies here.
There is a higher demand for tinned meat or fish currently within Derby’s food banks. We are also accepting your donations of essential non-food items including toiletries, household items, sanitary products and baby supplies.
Along with supporting the city’s food banks we recognise the isolating effects of lockdown, particularly on the older generation who may live alone.
To support social interaction, Derby County Community Trust’s Tackling Loneliness Together project will provide the opportunity for participants to borrow IT equipment to take part in their virtual sessions and keep in touch with their friends and family.
If you could benefit from a free IT loan during this period, or know someone who could, please get in touch at community@dcct.co.uk.
The virtual timetable consists of 25 weekly sessions and many of these are open for all. There are a wide range of activities on offer from coffee mornings to Pilates. You can out more here.
The 'Stay Safe. Stay Fit. Stay Connected.' project will continue to provide support for anybody in need and will launch further initiatives in the lead up to Christmas.
For further information on any of the above activities please find up-to-date information on Derby County Community Trust’s social media channels, website and via community@dcct.co.uk.