Preston North End and Preston North End Community and Education Trust are seeking donations from the public in order to set-up the PNECET Helping Hampers campaign, which will aim to help vulnerable members of the community amidst the ongoing COVID-19 crisis.
Donate to the PNECET Helping Hampers campaign
The club and the Community and Education Trust have launched the campaign to support the most vulnerable people who are accessing the Trust’s programmes, as well as others from the wider Preston community.
At a challenging time worldwide, amidst the COVID-19 outbreak, PNECET Helping Hampers will aim to provide support to those most in need at this unprecedented time, with the provision of hampers containing goods both vital and engaging.
Hampers will include food and drink, along with puzzle books, Preston North End matchday programmes and home exercise sheets to help recipients to remain active and occupied from home. Hampers will also be catered to a vegan or vegetarian diet.
Members of staff from the Community and Education Trust will be out in the greater Preston area delivering hampers to members of the Sporting Memories and walking football programmes, as well as supporting those in need not currently engaged in the programmes.
The club and the Community and Education Trust are also welcoming requests for help and aim to support those most in need where possible.
However, the campaign is dependent on generous donations from the general public, in order to fund the provision of essential items and the delivery of these to recipients of the hampers.
The Preston North End first team squad and management have already agreed to make a donation to the campaign and hopefully the people of the city will join them.
The Trust’s Head of Community Tom Drake said: “We understand that this is a challenging time for so many people for a whole number of reasons, however, no-one should have to struggle, so we want to reach out to the elderly and vulnerable to provide them with essential items and engaging materials while at home.
“Hampers will contain a variety of items to ensure people remain well stocked for food and have plenty to keep them occupied at home over the coming weeks.
“To have the support of the football club too is fantastic. We pride ourselves on being a community club and providing for the community’s needs at this time and I would like to thank manager Alex Neil and the players for their support with this initiative.
“We hope that we can rely on our fantastic fanbase and the wider Preston community to help us to deliver the project, providing genuinely vital support under the current circumstances due to the coronavirus.”
Preston North End Finance Director Kevin Abbott added: “As the local football club, we have a massive reach to people in the local area and we want to use that to support the most vulnerable in society at this unprecedented time of need.
“Preston North End is a community club with proud family values and at a serious time of need such as this, we will do as much we can to help our supporters, particularly the elderly and the most vulnerable, as well as others in need in our local area.”
Fans can donate to the Helping Hampers cause by visiting clicking here and making an online donation.
Both the club and the Trust are appreciative of whatever level of support fans can provide, no matter how great or small.
If you know someone in need of a helping hamper, please contact community@pne.com.