Preston North End is pleased to support the 2018 Level Playing Field (LPF) Weeks of Action. This annual initiative, now in its 13th year, aims to celebrate access and inclusion for disabled sports fans across England and Wales.
Disabled people constitute the largest minority group at around 15% of the population and this number is increasing year on year. Naturally, a large number of disabled people are football fans too and we are pleased to take this opportunity to thank our own disabled fans for their continued loyalty and dedication to this great club.
Once again, we are celebrating the matchday experience for disabled fans by designating tonight’s game against Bristol City by highlighting the Level Playing Field Weeks of Action. We want to shine a light on the positives of attending a live matchday and in turn help remove those barriers and promote a culture of accessibility and inclusiveness within sport.
As well as this, we also want to celebrate the work being done by you, our supporters, by highlighting the money you have raised to our official charity partner, Rainbow House. Your contributions via bucket collections outside of the ground and football cards on official away coaches has meant you have helped us raise over £3,000 during the 2017/18 season alone!
Meanwhile, Deepdale in itself has continued to provide an inclusive and accessible place to be for all on our matchday. This season has seen us introduce an additional 60 bays for wheelchair provision, with bays available now in all stands as well as extra provisions such as lower level shelving on concourses, and the installation of a safety rail on the Alan Kelly platform for supporters to place refreshments whilst watching the match, a need highlighted by the MSLO’s.
At least one toilet on every concourse now has fitted handrails for ambulant disabled supporters whilst we also make sure an information sheet is posted alongside ticket information for away games on the website, specifically on disabled facilities and provisions at the visiting clubs, so supporters needn’t have any concerns about following North End, at home or away!
This Weeks of Action campaign we are joining together with sports clubs, fans and organisations across England and Wales to celebrate the #OurMatchday to not only promote the positive experience had by disabled fans but also the message of access and inclusion for all.
For more information about Level Playing Field (LPF) and this year’s Weeks of Action, please visit www.levelplayingfield.org.uk email helen@levelplayingfield.org.uk or call 0208 621 2403.
Alternatively you may wish to send a message of support to @lpftweets on Twitter using the hashtag #OurMatchday.