Argyle Community Trust wins EFL divisional award
Argyle Community Trust are delighted to have won the divisional award for Community Project of the Season for our ACTing with Children Programme at the EFL Awards.
The ACTing with Children programme, which supports children aged 0-18 who have a parent in prison, was voted the Best Community Project in the Championship by a judging panel consisting of former England Lioness Rachel Brown-Finnis, former EFL footballer and Sky Sports pundit, Jobi McAnuff, Sports Journalist Henry Winter and Dave Palmer from the PFA.
Trust representatives, including CCO Jason Chapman and ACTing with Children Project deliverer Caitlin Jones, travelled up to London on Wednesday to accept the award at the House of Commons.
Speaking on the recognition of the programme, Caitlin Jones said: “I am genuinely pleased to see the programme receiving the recognition it deserves.
“The work we provide is not just important, it’s vital. It provides much-needed support and attention to communities and issues that have too often remained overlooked.
“This acknowledgement highlights the impact we’ve been making and encourages continued efforts to address these essential needs, ensuring that they don't remain in the shadows."
Mark Lovell added: “We’re delighted to see our ACTing with Children programme win Community Project of the Season for the Championship at the 2025 EFL Awards.
“It is great to see how far the programme has come in such a short space of time and that it has been properly recognised for the incredible work it has provided for young people in Cornwall.
“Our staff and partners have worked tirelessly on this programme and we are delighted to continue providing support to such a great cause.”
EFL Chief Executive, Trevor Birch, said: “The EFL Community Awards are a celebration of the role and collective impact football has in communities across England and Wales. Hearing such powerful stories from our winners reinforces the capabilities EFL Clubs have in not only changing the landscape of our communities but in changing lives too.
“EFL Club charities collectively support over one million people across England and Wales every season, and these awards highlight only a fraction of the programmes and initiatives that operate every single day.
“Our 72 Clubs are at the forefront of helping to tackle societal challenges and adapting the services they offer to better meet the needs of their communities. It is this ability to be agile and responsive to individual community needs that makes this work so impactful.”
After winning the award for the Championship, Argyle Community Trust and the ACTingwith Football programme will now be entered into the grand final against Port Vale’s cost-of-living programme ‘Baby Bank’ and Charlton Athletic’s Youth Engagement Vehicles scheme to claim the overall award, which will be decided in May.
A child with a parent in prison is 78% more likely to offend. Using our research and experience supporting at-risk, vulnerable, and traumatised young people, and supported by the Police and Crime Commissioner, Chief Constable, and Safer Cornwall through the Serious Violence Prevention Programme ‘Breaking the Cycle’, we provide early intervention,preventing children from following undesirable paths.
Gov.uk data estimates that in England and Wales, between October 2021 and October 2022, 192,912 children had a parent in prison.
The impact on affected children is heartbreaking. National research has found impacts include increased mental ill health, emotional trauma, lower academic achievement, anti-social behaviour, involvement in the criminal justice system and social disadvantage.
Social stigma means almost 80% of families affected will not tell anyone outside close family and friends and there is no mechanism to identify the actual number of young people affected, which is almost certain to be higher than government estimates.
You can find out more information about our programme by clicking the link here.
For more information or for any media requests, please contact Jack Hobbs, Communications Officer, at jack.hobbs@pafc.co.uk.
