Yellows bringing together the community

AFC Sudbury have long been associated with community initiatives, but at their home match against Basildon United last weekend they took that concept a stage further, rolling out a new programme which pulls together the contacts from a number of vital community support networks via an innovative QR code. They also held an event which advertised the availability of health and wellbeing support services to those who live in the local area.

Emma Swan, part of the club's Football Operations Committee, explained:

"I wanted to hold an awareness raising event to help local people, and those travelling from other teams, as well as individuals who utilise our buildings for other activities (such as dance classes), to know what is available to them in relation to support for their health and wellbeing.

AFC Sudbury wellbeing event

I also had another idea I wanted to progress, which was about making service information accessible for those who may not feel able to speak up or reach out to ask for help, so came up with the idea of introducing a QR code. The Committee understood what I wanted to achieve, with both the event and QR code, and we planned to move it forward. I spoke to our Head of Media who acted upon my idea to put a directory of services into a QR code for fans to access discreetly, which we shared in toilets, by the bar and in our programme amongst other places, bringing it all to life."

The following services attended last Saturday, and we've included the website details for each of them:

• Anglia Care Trust
• Compassion
• Suffolk Rape Crisis
• Fresh Start New Beginnings –
• Movember –
• The Ferns
• The Offside Trust -
• Survivors in Transition

Congratulations to Emma and the Yellows for coming up with such a fabulous initiative, one which we're sure will be an inspiration to other clubs across the Pitching In Isthmian League.

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