Firstly, we would like to send a massive thank you to every single person who has supported us with donations during the year, particularly during our most recent December games.
We know that the festive period and the cold start to January can be a difficult time for many, yet the generosity of the West Ham family has never wavered. At this time of year, we always anticipate an increased demand for support, and we are incredibly grateful to have delivered a half-tonne of food to our local foodbanks in recent weeks to help meet that need.
Restoring the Community: The Paragon Donation
Special recognition must go to Hammers fan Matt from the Paragon School of Furniture Restoration. Matt coordinated a significant donation collected from his students, proving that the spirit of the East End stretches far and wide.
Furthermore, our reach has extended beyond food; we have been able to deliver over £25k of brand-new clothes into the Essex community during the month. This ensures that those facing hardship are not only fed but also clothed with dignity during the harshest months of the year.
Player Involvement and Store Collections
The club has been instrumental in facilitating our efforts recently. Three weeks ago, the club organised a player signing event in the official store, and fans attending were encouraged to bring along a foodbank donation to our pop-up collection point in the ground floor café.
It was a pleasure for our volunteers to chat with Callum Wilson, Freddie Potts, and club legend Tony Gale, alongside Hammers celebrity Bobby Seagull. Their presence certainly helped boost the visibility of our mission.
An Unexpected Delivery from PGMOL
The following weekend, before the Aston Villa game, we received a huge food donation from PGMOL. In partnership with the Football Supporters Association, they had been running a food collection drive at their training workshops.
It was a unique sight to see Anthony Taylor and the matchday officials delivering these donations to us. We were proud to be among a number of fan-led foodbanks across the country to receive support through this initiative.
Supporting the Homeless at Beckton
Our logistical operation also saw a major milestone when we arranged for 60 boxes of new clothes to be delivered to the West Ham Foundation’s Beckton site.
This allowed us to provide a full set of new tees and hoodies to the 15 homeless guests who used the Foundry facilities over Christmas, providing much-needed warmth and comfort.
A Visit to Rush Green
Finally, in Christmas week, we were invited to Rush Green to collect the players’ annual foodbank donations. This marks the fourth consecutive year that the playing staff have supported us, and it was a great opportunity for our volunteers to meet the squad and Nuno to thank them personally.
We are truly grateful for every donation. If you want to help, please drop by our matchday collection point for a chat.
Be the first to comment