Pompey have been named the Your Move Community Club of the Year for the South East & East region.
The club – along with other winners – will be recognised at a special virtual EFL Community Awards event on Wednesday, April 28.
Catching the judge’s attention was the innovative ‘Blue Kitchen’ project run by Pompey in the Community.
Created as a response to Covid pandemic, it has since diversified and expanded into a variety of forms to support the engagement of young people in cooking and achieving a healthy lifestyle.
It also involves online cookery lessons for care homes and fans across the country, as well as helping long-term unemployed adults gain meaningful work.
The other regional victors include Blackburn (North West), Bristol Rovers (South West & Wales), Port Vale (Midlands), Sunderland (North East & Yorkshire) and Watford (London).
An overall winner will be announced at the EFL Awards, which is to be broadcast live on Sky Sports Football from 7.30pm on Thursday, April 29.
The ongoing work of EFL clubs highlights the power of football as a force for good in a year when communities have needed them most.
During the pandemic, clubs have provided critical support to the communities they serve – from delivering important food parcels to those most at risk to helping people who are isolated and suffering from loneliness.
The six winners have been chosen for the outstanding impact they continue to have in changing people’s lives for the better across a wide range of areas including: physical and mental wellbeing, diversity and inclusion, employability and tackling loneliness.