The EFL Trust is one of nine organisations to receive a share of a £5million new Government fund aimed at reducing loneliness in the wake of the Coronavirus lockdown.

The funding of £810,000 will be used to make onward grants to Club Community Organisations (CCOs) in 32 deprived locations across the country, with the aim of connecting more older people at risk of loneliness at a time when the pandemic has resulted in many individuals facing prolonged periods of isolation.

It is part of the Chancellor’s £750million support package for charities. The nine successful organisations have been recognised as providing vital support for a wide range of vulnerable people at risk of loneliness, including the elderly, veterans, and people with disabilities.

The new grants will allow expanded activities across the country under the EFL Trust campaign ‘Let’s Tackle Loneliness Together’. Activity will include befriending phone calls, online social groups, a pen-pal scheme, social action from young people taking part in NCS and socially distanced ‘garden gate’ conversations to emerge across EFL communities and reach the people who need this vital support right when they need it the most.

Mike Evans, Chief Executive of the EFL Trust, said: “We are proud to have been chosen to be part of this vital mission to support the older people in our communities.

“We see this as an endorsement of the great work that our CCOs have done in this area and we know there is so much more that our network will achieve. Our health and wellbeing team are working hard to match the expertise of our network to the communities where it is most desperately needed and we continue to work with DCMS, NHS, Public Health England and other agencies to ensure we can all build back better after Covid-19.”

Mike will feature in a live Twitter takeover on Monday 29th June. Join the conversation by following the hashtag #SportForDevelopmentCoalition from 8-9pm. Read his blog here.