Dunmow Rovers Youth Football Club's players and coaches have donated items to Uttlesford Foodbank, and are now working alongside Dunmow United to keep community support going.

Players and coaches representing the youth football club's U11 Jaguars and U9 Tigers teams delivered the first of the many food donations they aim to donate in the coming months to the Co-op on White Street, a collecting point.

%image(15426567, type="article-full", alt="Dunmow Rovers Chairman Jamie Smith with Co-op manager Paul Lewis and staff "elf" Rachel with food donations")

Rovers chairman Jamie Smith and the club's committee members wanted to make a difference in the community during this tough time. The club's committee put out a message asking the coaches, players and parents and carers for food donations to help families in need in the coming months.

Mr Smith said: "We are a community club and football is the part that brings communities together, children and their parents. We know that families are going to find the coming months very tough as people are losing their jobs, therefore suffer financially and find it very difficult to provide basic food to feed their families, and children often go without being fed.

"We may have families and children at our own club that may need this service so hopefully this will help. This should not happen in this day and age but it is happening and it's a serious issue, so this is a way of the club showing support for our community and hope our ongoing donations help families in the coming months.

"We can all try and make a difference and I thank all of those players and parents at our club who have donated generously so far, and Co-op store manager Paul Lewis and his staff for their help with the deliveries.

"Awareness is key to get these donations across so I invited the town's other local community club Dunmow United to get on board and join us in our quest for Uttlesford Foodbank donations and they accepted and are getting involved which is great for all.

"Both clubs working together for the community is better than one".

Food donations can be taken to the Co-op in Great Dunmow where there is a drop off point near the main entrance. Financial donations can be made online at https://uttlesford.foodbank.org.uk/give-help/donate-money

%image(15426569, type="article-full", alt="Dunmow Rovers Youth Football Club")

%image(15426571, type="article-full", alt="Dunmow Rovers Youth Football Club's resources poster for supporting organisations this festive season.")