Charity banking on generous fans

Hamlet's generous fans collected £142.07 and donated an amazing 393.68 kilos of food to the charity last season and they are expected to dig deep again this weekend when the club hosts a Foodbank Day for the visit of Leiston.

Founded in 2009 by Pecan, a Christian organisation started by local churches, the Southwark Foodbank helps to feed thousands of the most vulnerable people every year and fans are being asked to bring along dry foodstuffs and toiletries in particular. Hamlet will also be offering free admission at the weekend to Southwark Footbank clients, their voluntary workers and families.

The event is being organised after community-minded club officials spotted an article in the Southwark News highlighting the plight of families relying on free schools meal found to be going hungry over the summer.

Community liaison officer Mishi Morath said: “Their staff and volunteers were blown away by the support shown by our fans and this is a great and humbling way to begin our season off of the pitch, as we continue to reach out to our local community. To be frank, I didn’t know what to expect last year, and was overwhelmed at how much our fans gave. I am sure, if they can afford it, they will be just as generous this time around."

He added: "Volunteers from the Southwark Foodbank team will be staffing a collection point inside the ground before the match and from half-time onwards will be rattling collection buckets too, for monetary donations with no coin too small and no paper note too large!"

Dulwich Hamlet chairman Liam Hickey said: “We hope to get the balance right by supporting good causes such as this, without our fans getting ‘collection fatigue’. Those of us who are fortunate enough to be able to add a little extra to our weekly shop over the next few days to bring along do so not only because we care, but because we know that Dulwich Hamlet are a shining example of the whole club pulling together to help others in our local community."

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