Pompey FC has been recognised as the regional winners of the Your Move Community Club of the Year as part of the EFL’s Day of Action.

Portsmouth’s innovative ‘Blue Kitchen’ project caught the judge’s attention, given how one idea can spark a series of community activities, serving a range of ages and creating solutions to a variety of key societal issues. The ‘Blue Kitchen’ was born out of Pompey’s Covid response but has since diversified and expanded into a variety of forms to support engagement of young people in cooking and healthy lifestyles; online cookery lessons to engage care homes and fans across the country and, supporting long term unemployed adults to help them gain meaningful employment.

The ongoing work of EFL Clubs highlights the power of football as a force for good in a year when communities have needed them most. During the pandemic EFL Clubs have provided critical support to the communities they serve, from delivering important food parcels to those most at risk to helping people who are isolated and suffering from loneliness.

The six winners have been chosen for the outstanding impact they continue to have in changing people’s lives for the better across a wide range of areas including: physical and mental wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, employability and tackling loneliness.

2021 Your Move Community Clubs of the Year:

North East & Yorkshire – Sunderland AFC

North West – Blackburn Rovers

Midlands – Port Vale

London – Watford

South East & East – Portsmouth

South West & Wales – Bristol Rovers