Preston North End and PNE Community and Education Trust are up for five awards at Monday evening’s 2022 North West Football Awards.
Having initially been shortlisted for six categories, there are a combined five awards which the club and the Trust are finalists for.
Championship Player of the Year - Andrew Hughes
Best Club Marketing/Sponsorship or Engagement Campaign - Play Your Part Season Card Campaign
Community Club of the Season
Community Initiative of the Season - PR1 Community Ramadan Project
Kick It Out Promoting Inclusion Award
Emil Riis had been shortlisted for the Rising Star award – part of a 20-man list – but that has since been whittled down to eight players.
As a reward for his impressive performances during the 2021/22 season, Andrew Hughes is up for the Championship Player of the Year award, coming up against Blackburn Rovers' Ben Brereton Diaz and Blackpool's Marvin Ekpiteta.
Elsewhere, the club's 2022/23 season card campaign, which saw a record number of ticket sales for over 50 years, is up against Bolton Wanderers' 'Be Part Of It' season card campaign in the ‘Best Club Marketing/Sponsorship or Engagement’ category.
PNECET is a finalist in the Community Club of the Season award for the divisions below the Premier League, having won the award in 2020 following its initial response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
With the strategic aim of connecting people, inspiring generations and helping people to achieve their goals, the Trust has seen its workforce rise to 32 full-time members of staff, while its work positively impacted 16,955 individuals throughout 2021.
Meanwhile, in the Community Initiative of the Season category, the Trust’s PR1-Community Ramadan project – also recognised as the EFL Awards’ Community Initiative of the Season for the Championship last season – is among the finalists in that category, too.
The PR1-Community Ramadan project reached over 3,500 people in the local area this year, with the provision of Iftar packs through stalls across 12 Preston locations, including several mosques, and doorstep deliveries. Moreover, more than 350 people attended the ‘Break Your Fast’ night during Ramadan to pray, eat and tour the stadium together.
Finally, PNECET is a finalist in the Kick It Out Promoting Inclusion award for its work in promoting equality, diversity and inclusion across all of its provision, among those from ethnically diverse communities, those living with disabilities and for women and girls.
That work has seen two multi-faith prayer rooms opened for supporters on matchdays, while efforts to signpost individuals to the FA Para Football Talent Pathway and the England girls’ Elite Talent Pathway provide only a snapshot of our work with those living with pan-disabilities and with women and girls.
The winners will be announced at the awards ceremony which is being held at Emirates Old Trafford on Monday 7th November 2022, hosted by Eilidh Barbour.