Leicester City (H) to be Second Project 35 Fixture of the Season
Argyle’s Sky Bet Championship fixture against Leicester City on Friday, 12 April has been selected as the second dedicated Project 35 fixture of the season.
This opportunity will hand the Argyle community another chance to break more records in the fight against food poverty in Plymouth, Devon, and Cornwall.
Our first dedicated Project 35 Takeover fixture of the season took place against Stoke City in December. We were blown away by the response from the Green Army and the wider community and, thanks to your generosity, a record-breaking 1.4 tonnes of produce and £410.20 in donations were collected, surpassing the previous three appeals at Home Park.
Since the inception of Project 35, an amazing 4.1 tonnes of food have been donated by the Green Army and local community for the local foodbank network in Plymouth.
When we meet Leicester, we are once again putting out the call for supporters and members of the community to bring items of in-date, non-perishable food to Home Park. The ambitious aim will be to surpass our record-breaking total achieved earlier this season.
We will be collecting items before the game from the Babcock Devonport End, where our food van and Project 35 gazebo will be located from 5pm. Pledge 35 volunteers, Ginsters staff and Trust staff will be on hand to support collections and chat more about the wider aims of Project 35.
Donations will be delivered to the Project 35 Food Larder, located at Manadon Sports and Community Hub, to support those in need after the Easter period.
The Community Larder runs every week and is currently supporting 80 local people in need with food and supplies provided through our charity network. To find out more, or to sign up, email trevor.higgins@pafc.co.uk.
Project 35, in partnership with Ginsters, had a profound impact in its first season, in 2022/23. As well as the huge success of the fan appeals, and winning Best Corporate Social Responsibility Scheme at the Football Business Awards, the project has delivered:
- Over 35,000 meals to those most in need
- Over 5,000 volunteering hours from ‘Pledge 35’ volunteers
- 707 hampers to the most deprived areas of Plymouth
- 22,000 Ginsters products to those living in temporary accommodation
- Over 600 hours of community volunteering from Ginsters staff
- 320 match tickets, 20 mascot experiences, and 212 Argyle shirts gifted
- Free education and wellbeing sessions to 7,028 children with 18,275 hampers gifted
- Education programmes and social action projects around food poverty in three schools
- Enrichment days for 24 students who were at risk of exclusion
- Adult education sessions and food workshops for young people
- Vital poverty awareness raised
Trust Community Engagement Project Manager Alice Young said: “We have been overwhelmed by the incredible generosity of the fans and community following the previous appeals and we can’t wait to do it again on our important Friday evening kick-off.
“Local people are always asking how they can get involved with our fight against poverty, and this provides them an opportunity to donate vital resources to the food bank network, and also volunteering at the event itself, through our wonderful Pledge 35 volunteers.
“We are hopeful that we can surpass the record-breaking target achieved at the Stoke City game and hit new heights with the foods donated and money raised.”
For more information on Project 35, in partnership with Ginsters, including how to sign up to take the Pledge 35 challenge, click here.
Thank you in advance for your generosity and support.
Check out the last fan appeal this season at the dedicated Project 35 fixture against Stoke:
