Quorn FC's volunteer heroes secure funding boost for homeless outreach efforts

Club secretary Adam Etheridge and chairman Stuart Turner were approached by Sue Wylie, her children Jonny and Zoe Handley, and Jonny's partner Jo Musson, to use the club's kitchen facilities to prepare hot meals to give away to those who needed them.

Working with Loughborough-based Falcon Support Services, on the last Friday of every month the family enjoy one another's company while preparing the food they later transport to the charity.

Initially paying for food themselves and relying on donations, the club successfully applied for additional support through the Trident Community Foundation, set up by Northern Premier League partners Pitching In, to do more for their local community.

Etheridge said: "I love the guys and their commitment to doing it but if we could get extra help, then we could do even more.

"Whether that is potentially feeding more people or giving them a pudding as well, just anything to do more.

"We were fortunate enough to receive the grant and the staff are buzzing, because they know they can do more now and they are delighted.

"It is reassuring that we have got the right people at the club. People who are willing to give up their time - and they give up an enormous amount of time.

"The amount of time they give to the club on a voluntary basis is bewildering. I really can't thank them enough.

"Seeing that dedication to giving up their time to do it is inspiring."

The Trident Community Foundation has supported more than 100 new and existing community projects across clubs at Steps 3 and 4 since being launched by Pitching In in December 2020, with more than £430,000 awarded in total across that time.

And Etheridge is hoping Quorn will be able to offer further support in their area by working with the village's parish council to gain access to grass pitches.

He said: "We are making more of an effort to be part of the community and we are starting to feel that now.

"We are at maximum capacity already. We are unable to add a women’s team and we aren’t able to offer walking football or anything to do with disability football.

"I think they are important things for us to try and achieve over the next couple of years and we will probably need some support in getting those programmes off the ground."

Find volunteering opportunities near you at pitchinginvolunteers.co.uk