Marlon Pack has been recognised at the 2024 EFL Community Awards.
Pompey’s skipper has won the EFL Player in the Community prize for League One, which is sponsored by the PFA.
The midfielder has played an integral part in helping the Blues climb to the top of the table, but is now being recognised for his work off the pitch during the 2023/24 campaign.
These awards celebrate the very best in club community work and recognise commitment, innovation and impact from clubs and players.
The winners have been announced ahead of a ceremony that takes place in the House of Commons later today.
EFL Community Club of the Season
West Bromwich Albion, Charlton Athletic and Swindon Town are the divisional winners of EFL Community Club of the Season, having demonstrated a variety of powerful, far-reaching community programmes in response to local need.
Judges were impressed by West Brom’s approach to addressing key issues through projects like ‘Go Local’, offering midnight football sessions during Ramadan and a rehabilitation scheme for stroke survivors.
In League One, Charlton led the way for their school project on the Isle of Sheppey – a high priority area for the Department of Education – and its innovative work to support the NHS.
Meanwhile, Swindon were the standout in League Two, demonstrating a commitment to continuously develop and improve an already well-executed portfolio of projects and activities, from helping refugees integrate into the local area to tackling loneliness.
EFL Player in the Community, sponsored by the PFA
As role models across the EFL, the 2024 winners of Player in the Community, sponsored by the PFA, are Sheffield Wednesday’s Will Vaulks in the Championship – the third time the player has won this award – Pompey’s Marlon Pack in League One and in League Two, Morecambe’s Farrend Rawson.
EFL Community Project of the Season
The Community Project of the Season award represents the most innovative and impactful projects that clubs deliver in their local communities.
In the Championship, this award goes to Bristol City for its ADD Mentor programme, which supports young people identified by the police as being at risk of going to prison. While the scheme is small in scale, it delivers major impact in the area, helping to transform the lives of its participants and acting as a catalyst for positive change.
In League, One Port Vale is recognised for the Club’s Community Cupboard and Lounge initiative, which has supported more than 6,000 people in the past 12 months with cost-of-living challenges.
Morecambe are this year’s League Two winner for their veterans project, which started out as a regular coffee morning for ex-servicemen and women, and has developed considerably into a lifeline for veterans aged 19-90.
Situated at the heart of their communities, EFL clubs have a unique ability to engage some of the most under-represented groups living in England and Wales, supporting people aged from one week to 101.
With almost 50 million people living within 15 miles of an EFL club, as a collective they play a crucial role in positively influencing lives up and down the country with the variety of programmes delivered.
An overall winner from each of the three categories will be revealed at the EFL Awards ceremony in London on April 14.
Trevor Birch, CEO of the EFL, said: “I’m honoured to be here at the Houses of Parliament today to celebrate the winners from this year’s EFL Community Awards.
“The real-life stories shared by participants from community programmes across the League is humbling and shows the breadth and depth of work delivered.
“This annual event presents a powerful reminder of the scale, reach and impact of club community work and its significance to the 72 towns and cities EFL clubs serve all year round.”
