Football for Food Update

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Hello and welcome to our Football for Food update!

Food banks are facing huge challenges in light of COVID-19. The lack of delivery slots and the limit of items per shopper at big supermarkets makes it difficult for food banks to order items in bulk as they might usually do. The financial difficulty or uncertainty that many will now be facing will no doubt impact on donations of both food and money. Volunteer numbers are likely to drop due to the need for shielding, social isolation and social distancing.

Of course, at the moment, there is no traditional Football for Food donation at match days, but there are still ways that you can help.

1. Make a cash donation.

This website has been created to share cash donations between the food banks of Sheffield: http://www.sheffieldfoodbank.org.uk

2. Organise a food collection

Could you arrange a local collection on your street? To arrange a street collection, contact your neighbours and ask them to leave donations in a box outside of your property. Make sure you adhere to the current guidance on social distancing – you should keep a distance of 2 metres. Therefore, a box outside is a good way for no contact donations.

Could you ask your local shop to host a collection? They could have a box in place for donations and you can transport the items to the food bank.

If you arrange either of these and need support transporting food – get in touch and we will help if we can!

3. Donate food

You could donate to the food bank directly by following the link shared earlier and finding your local foodbank. You could donate in the baskets available at some supermarkets. You could keep donations to one side to be donated at a later date. You might like to have a look on social media sites for the food bank you will be donating to. Here you can often find a list of items which are needed.

4. Share this post

You may not be in a position to donate right now, but by sharing this post you could encourage others to if they are able.

Thanks for reading!

Preview of AFC Unity Vs Thurcroft Miners Welfare

by Sam Tabuteau

In a week where even handshakes are being outlawed in some professional sports due to health regulations, AFC Unity and women’s football clubs up and down the country are rejoicing in a celebration of inclusivity as International Women’s Day makes its way to the forefront of contemporary society.

Sunday’s game against Thurcroft Miners Welfare is merely a contributing factor to a far larger collective process taking centre stage over the next couple of days and weeks. Preparations both on and off the pitch have been amplified tenfold with news that 17-year-old female referee Caitlin O’Grady will be officiating the game. She herself is a woman with lofty ambitions, stating her desire to one day referee in the Football League, and it seems only fitting that Unity should look to her for inspiration and visa versa.

The match itself is set to be tightly contested with Thurcroft sitting just four points behind Unity but with three games in hand. There is a case to say that Thurcroft could be lacking match fitness as a result, and with Unity having won 7-1 last weekend hope of another positive result will be firmly in the minds of everyone involved with the club. The same however could’ve been said of Unity a few weeks back, as they too suffered from numerous cancellations at the start of the year. But the resilience they’ve shown to turn their fortunes around recently suggests such issues don’t take as much prevalence as might be assumed.

Thurcroft’s results show them to be somewhat of a Jekyll and Hyde outfit,  having comprehensively dispatched of Dronfield Town Development in December they were then given a taste of their own medicine when they welcomed Dronfield back to their place in January – said 8-1 loss was also the last game they played, due to poor weather conditions, and Thurcroft will be looking to get back to winning ways and close the gap on Unity heading into the business end of the season.

Injuries continue to pile up for Unity, but with a couple of players returning to the fold competition for places is certainly healthier than it has been in recent weeks.

The selected squad of 16 is as below:

1 Hannah LAMB
3 Jane WATKINSON
6 Sarah PECK
9 Claire WATKINSON
11 Becky GAY
14 Chloe BURDITT
15 Jodean WADSWORTH
16 Lizzie SMITH
17 Kirsten VIZOR
18 Ruth KENNEDY
22 Pippa JOSEPH
24 Jodie SPILLINGS
27 Michelle GARRIGAN
29 Kristina RANKINE
33 Lisa GRAY
37 Rachel RODGERS (captain)