Project 35 Takeover Fixture Against Shrewsbury
Tuesday’s Sky Bet League One fixture against Shrewsbury Town is an opportunity
for the Argyle community to come together to make a big contribution in the fight against poverty.
Our home game against the Shrews is our dedicated Project 35 Takeover fixture, and supporters are encouraged to bring an item of non-perishable food to Home Park before the game, with the aim of filling a large food delivery vehicle which will be driven to the Oasis Project foodbank in Stonehouse shortly after kick off.
Foods urgently required at the Foodbank include cereals, tinned meats, tinned fruits, and long-life UHT milk.
Numerous Project 35 activities have been ongoing since Argyle and the Argyle Community Trust, in partnership with Ginsters, launched the campaign to highlight poverty in Plymouth, Devon and Cornwall – and the groundswell of support received since launch has been overwhelming.
So far, Project 35 has seen over 13,000 Ginsters pasties, slices and sausage rolls distributed to provide families with lunches, helping towards overcoming weekend poverty. Over 150 members of the community, including Argyle supporters, have signed up to the Pledge 35 initiative, with hundreds of volunteering hours already committed to food charities across the city.
Over 1,400 meals have also been distributed across 80 households in most need of targeted support ,while 2,500 school children have participated in free sports, health and wellbeing sessions delivered by Argyle Community Trust staff.
New initiatives are also being launched on a weekly basis, with the most recent of these, the Project 35 breakfast club, supporting children who are experiencing breakfast poverty.
The aims of Project 35 have resonated across the city, as well as very close to home, with members of Steven Schumacher’s first team squad coming together to make a sizeable contribution to kick off the food drive for Tuesday, as well as committing their own time to support events in Devon and Cornwall.
Dwain Morgan, Head of Business and Impact at Argyle Community Trust, said: “The support for Project 35 has been amazing, but there will also be a lot of Argyle supporters who maybe haven’t had the opportunity to engage with the campaign so far.
“Tuesday is not just about bringing everyone together to celebrate our achievements, but also about redoubling our efforts to affect change in our communities. The simple act of each supporter bringing a can of food to the stadium will have a profound impact. It’s a symbol, really, of how a small gesture from each of us can amount to a great deal.”
The Plymouth Foodbank van will arrive at Home Park from 4pm on Tuesday and will be located just outside the Argyle Superstore. Pledge 35 volunteers and Argyle Community Trust staff members will be on hand to support collections and chat more about the wider aims of Project 35. Down the hill from the delivery van, outside of the Devonport End, representatives from FareShare South West will host a stall providing more information on food charity initiatives in our city.
Inside the stadium, special guests involved in the day-to-day operations of Project 35 will feature as part of the match-day entertainment schedule, including on the big screen, Argyle TV, and in Club Argyle, educating supporters, guests and sponsors on the challenges facing our community, and what we can all do to help. Bucket collections to support Project 35 activities will also be conducted around Home Park over the course of the evening.
Andrew Parkinson, Chief Executive Officer at Argyle, said: “We are excited to showcase Project 35 in front of our supporters on Tuesday night, and provide everyone with the opportunity to make a contribution towards the collective effort to combat poverty in our community.
“I think it’s clear to see that Project 35 resonates with so many people, and the reaction internally at Argyle, Ginsters and the Argyle Community Trust has been remarkable.
“The campaign’s central themes are important to everyone – that any child should go hungry is a failure of society. I thank our players for once again evidencing their status as role models by kicking off our food drive with a substantial donation.”
Sam Mitchell, Ginsters Managing Director, said: “We are excited to see the first Project 35 Takeover fixture on Tuesday. The immense uptake of support since the launch of the project has been overwhelming, and we’re delighted to be partnering with Plymouth Argyle and Argyle Community Trust to deliver this important programme for our local community.
“We look forward to continuing to build on the success so far, and the game next week will be a key opportunity for more fans to get involved.”
For more information on Project 35, including how to sign up to take the Pledge 35 challenge, click here.
For the full priority list of foods in short supply at Plymouth Foodbank, click here.
Thank you in advance for your generosity and support.
