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BBC News
2 days ago
- Sport
- BBC News
Ipswich Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks returns for fourth year
A group of football fans who help organise foodbank donations will return for their fourth Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks was set up in January 2023 and has since raised more than £20,000 for local Suffolk foodbank, Families in take on their first Championship home game of the season at Portman Road against Southampton on Sunday, and the group is asking fans to consider Nixon, co-founder and leader organiser, said the fans had made their work possible over the years. "Ipswich is one of the top 50 worst areas for child poverty, unfortunately, and there's been a 28% rise in child poverty in Ipswich in the past year alone," Mr Nixon explained."As people who care about the town and the area, we feel that we can't let that go unaddressed."The group is part of the national Fans Supporting Foodbanks movement, which originated with Liverpool and Everton supporters in scheme now spans across more than 40 clubs in England, all united under a principle that "hunger doesn't wear club colours". On Sunday, the group will collect from 10:00 BST before kick-off at ask for non-perishable food items, financial donations and clothing."It's not just us that do it, we are just the facilitators," Mr Nixon continued."It's the Ipswich Town fans that really put in the work and make what we do possible."It's the fans and the community who are the real champions in this fight against food poverty."The cost of living crisis has hit everyone, and I think everyone can bond over the struggles we face in our communities, with heating our homes, and the rising cost of the weekly shop." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
11-06-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Ipswich Town fans hit goal of raising £20,000 for foodbanks
Ipswich Town fans have finished the season on a high off the pitch with news that they have collected more than £20,000 for donated £6,000 this season, to add to the thousands of pounds collected since monthly matchday collections began in collection has been bolstered by donations from away organiser of the fundraising group said it protected the local community "from the scourge of food poverty". In a season which saw the Tractor Boys return to the Championship after a brief glimpse of life in the Premiership, good news has been hard to come by at Portman organisers of the foodbank fundraiser are delighted by their total passing the £20k Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks (ITFSF) began monthly matchday collections in January 2023 for the Suffolk foodbank Families in Need (Find).They set up collection sites in the Fanzone and opposite Planet Blue, and visits to those sites became a familiar feature of the fans' pre-match routine. A spokesperson for ITFSF said: "In the face of an ongoing cost-of-living crisis, supporters went above and beyond, filling Find's warehouse with warm clothes and tins of food, and providing vital funds for those less fortunate."Opposition fans swelled the coffers through whip-rounds on away coaches and carrier bags full of group says the local need is increasing, with recent figures showing that Ipswich ranks as one of the worst 50 places for child poverty in the is one of more than 40 teams across England that followed the lead of Liverpool and Everton, who launched Fans Supporting Foodbanks in national campaign uses the slogan "Hunger doesn't wear club colours" and hopes to have fans from all 92 clubs in the top four divisions involved before too long. Elijah Aldridge, from ITFSF said: "This year has been incredibly humbling. "Whether it is little kids giving 50p of their pocket money before a game or almost 200 Ipswich and Fortuna Dusseldorf fans sponsoring our cycle [ride] to Germany, this is fanbase-organised and a community protected from the scourge of food poverty."Maureen Reynel, founder of Find, said: "Yet another wonderful season of giving by amazing fans who really do care about those in need."Their donations enable us to provide quality fresh foods to add to the thousands of food parcels." Follow Suffolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
