This collaboration between Darlington FC and Darlington Support aims to provide further support to the community of Darlington affected by the Coronavirus pandemic and beyond.

Darlington Football Club has partnered with Darlington Support to work together to meet the increasing needs of the community during the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. This partnership will involve a number of fronts including: signposting residents, sharing resources such as website articles and social media posts and contact with the most vulnerable, isolated and shielding people of Darlington. Both parties intend to extend this collaboration beyond the Coronavirus crisis and continue to meet the needs of those most vulnerable within our local community.

Joanne Cameron, DFC’s Matchday Events Manager, is excited at the prospect of partnering with Darlington Support and said, “My aim is to help connect the football club to its local community. In years to come, these unprecedented and challenging times will be a history topic and I wanted to be able to look back and know I made a difference during the COVID 19 pandemic. I have been involved with DFC’s Buddy Scheme carrying out ‘buddy calls’ to our fans for several months now, and I also volunteer for Darlington Support and carry out regular ‘follow up’ calls speaking to those that are elderly and vulnerable in our town. The support I have received from the Darlington Support volunteer team has been amazing and I am proud to have introduced them to Darlington Football Club, as both have the Darlington community closely at heart”.

Kimberley Scott and George Jabbour, the founders of Darlington Support, said: “We are incredibly thrilled to start a new partnership with Darlington Football Club.  Joanne, together with hundreds of volunteers, joined Darlington Support at the start of the Coronavirus outbreak and have since been working extremely hard to serve our community because they care about the well-being of our local residents and would like to make a positive contribution during these uncertain times. In addition, through its Buddy Scheme, the Club is playing a vital role in supporting its many fans. Therefore, we came to the natural conclusion that, by working together and joining forces, we can have a bigger impact and help more people across our town, not only for the next few weeks, but also over the long-term, well after this current crisis has ended.”

Darlington Support, the charity behind the 6,000-strong Facebook group “Coronavirus Support for Vulnerable Darlington”, was launched to provide assistance to local people who were affected as a result of the Coronavirus outbreak.  It has hundreds of volunteers who assist the town’s residents with anything from shopping and collecting prescriptions to dog walking and posting letters. They also offer companionship services.

Their website is: www.darlingtonsupport.uk

Tel no: 01325 978897