WElcome to Sheffield. About us Despite being a relatively new division, we have been hard at work building a really fun and inclusive core base of players. All of our games are mixed-gender, so you’ll often see a wide range of players on the pitch. We’re constantly growing and would love you to be a part of that! Join Mixed Division Use the map and timetables below to find your closest game. Find a match Mixed Division Timetable Match Timetable Caroline Chisholm School Wooldale Road, Northampton, NN4 6TP WEDNESDAY 20:30 - 21:30 7-A-SIDE 2G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Monday - 18:00 Northampton Academy Wellingborough Rd, Northampton, NN3 8NH THURSDAY 19:30 - 20:30 6-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Tuesday - 18:00 Join Facebook group Let's Go! GOT ANY QUESTIONS? CHECK OUT OUR MATCHDAY FAQS

About football for foodbanks To be honest, our name tells you most of what you need to know. We play casual games of football across the UK. Our profits go directly back into the local community by supporting food banks. A simple concept with a huge impact. Football For Foodbanks CIC is an organisation that sets up football games, despite being pretty rubbish at football. We encourage rubbish players, because sometimes there isn’t always a platform for them to play. As soon as our first pitch was booked, it became apparent that there is a huge gap in the sport for casual games of football, offered on a weekly opt-in basis, which cater for all abilities and can accommodate anyone who wants to play. We’ve now been able to expand to provide some of the only casual games of football for women and gender minorities in the country, along with providing games in six different locations. Meet the Team How did it start? Our values & ethos The matches we organise are for everybody. A core part of our ethos is inclusivity. We do not mind that you have a dodgy knee, have never kicked a ball before, or are feeling a bit old these days. There is a game for you here with us and we will never sit you on the benches. Our players love a good game of football, but we also love giving everyone a chance to get involved. We have men’s divisions and women and gender minorities’ divisions - you play wherever you feel comfortable. Matchday Policy Let's Go! Keen for a kick about? Find OUT HOW TO JOIN A MATCH Every time you play with us, a portion of your fees goes towards filling cupboards in your local community. We are proud to be able to say that 70% of our profits go directly to local food banks. Let’s say that a 5-a-side pitch costs £30 for an hour, and there’s ten of you. We’ll charge you £4. The extra quid you have given us goes into the kitty. That’s a tenner made. Half a week’s shopping for some. Job’s a good’un. At the end of the month, all that spare money gets spent on a massive food shop, which is then all given to a food bank. Who We Support How does it work?

First name Last name Email* Select City (if applicable) Choose one Message* Submit Please get in touch if you have any questions by completing the form below or emailing hello@footballforfoodbanks.com MATCHDAY FAQS INTERESTED IN PLAYING? CHECK OUT OUR MATCHDAY FAQS

catch up with The latest news and press from our football for foodbanks groups across the UK. It's not all about winning when it comes to football - Tessa Allingham meets a community group that offer an inclusive and charitable way to play. Read More >>> Waitrose Weekly 27 July 2023 Pitching In To Tackle Food Poverty A weekly kickabout in Milton Keynes is providing more than just exercise and fun - it is also bringing in donations to a food bank. Football for Foodbanks began in Sheffield and is spreading to other cities such as Milton Keynes. Any surplus money from players' fees is donated to the MK Food Bank. Read More >>> BBC 18 June 2023 Milton Keynes football group tackles the cost of living Almost 2,000 members, £20,000 and immeasurably more food donated. This is the result of amateur footballers coming together to play to raise money for local foodbanks. Read More >>> The Yorkshire Post 13 March 2023 How friendly games are supporting Yorkshire's most in need A community initiative founded in Sheffield that co-ordinates accessible inclusive football matches and donates profits to local foodbanks, is celebrating after receiving £10,000 from The National Lottery Community Fund. Read More >>> Yorkshire Live 19 March 2023 Sheffield football group bringing community together to tackle food poverty gets funding boost The football community is no stranger to banding together for a good cause. The friendly league Football for Foodbanks embodies this ethos. Founded in Sheffield by Matty Cassell, its donations amount to several thousands of pounds – a “stand’s worth” of bags of food – and hundreds of sanitary products to food banks and other charities. Read More >>> The Guardian 12 March 2023 Football on a mission: the friendly league that offers a safe place and feeds the needy It’s 5.59pm on a Monday evening and I am staring at Facebook, mouse poised over the refresh button. When the clock ticks to 6pm I click and a post appears: “Hillsborough sign-ups, 19 needed.” I type “In” and hit return. This weekly ritual is played out by footballers across Sheffield, desperate to reserve their spot in a thriving casual setup that raises around £1,500 per month for a good cause. Read More >>> When Saturday Comes 15 February 2023 Football for Foodbanks As the country reels from the escalating cost of living crisis, I wanted to focus today’s blog on a more uplifting story. One that is all about solidarity, collaboration and the well-known global unifier that is football! Read More >>> MK Food Bank 20 March 2023 Working together to welcome refugees Football for Foodbanks (FFF) will launch in the town next month, overseen by Jack Emmens and his girlfriend Amy Calpin. FFF, which started in Sheffield last year, invites residents to enjoy the beautiful game and make vital donations to local foodbanks. Read More >>> Derbyshire Times 12 August 2021 Couple launch Football for Foodbanks initiative in Chesterfield A group called Football for Foodbanks is hosting 6-a side-football matches and supporting Manchester foodbanks. The group, which caters to both men and women, aims to make the activity accessible for all, regardless of ability. Read More >>> The Northern Quota 10 June 2021 South Manchester group Football for Foodbanks is fighting food poverty with 6-a-side football A Sheffield charity has announced that it will be expanding to Manchester later this month – less than a year after it was founded. Read More >>> Sheffield Wire 7 May 2021 Football for Foodbanks: popular Sheffield charity to expand to Manchester Football for Foodbanks provides a vital boost to food banks during a time where more people are relying on them than ever. The Trussell Trust reported that between April and March 2020, a record 1.9 million people in Britain needed to access their food banks. Among these, 700,000 were children. Read More >>> Sheffield Wire 20 April 2021 Football for Foodbanks: The social enterprise using football as a force for good COVID-19 has all but decimated the economy, leaving many people out of work and struggling financially. As a result, foodbank use across the country is increasing, with The Trussell Trust forecasting a 61% increase in food parcels needed this winter. With tough times ahead, a group of local football fans are doing their bit to help the city’s foodbanks prepare. We spoke to Matty, the founder of Football For Foodbanks to hear more about it. Read More >>> The Steel City Standard 7 October 2020 Football For Foodbanks: Kick About To Help Out Discover Interested in the FFF Story? Find out how we started

WElcome to Sheffield. About us Following the first game in September 2021, Football For Foodbanks Chesterfield has given a space to footballers of all abilities and experiences to play the game that they love. With three regular games each week, significant sums have been raised and donated to food banks the local area. We're always on the lookout for new players in both our Divisions so come on down and see what we're all about. Join Mens Division Join Women & Gender Minorities Division Use the map and timetables below to find your closest game. Find a match Men's Division Match Timetable Staveley Miners Welfare Inkersall Road, Staveley, S43 3JL WEDNESDAY 19:00-18:00 9-A-SIDE 4G Astroturf SIGN-UP Monday 18:00 Queens Park Sports Centre Boythorpe Rd, Chesterfield, S40 2ND FRIDAY 20:00 - 21:00 5-A-SIDE 4G Astroturf SIGN-UP Wednesday - 18:00 Springwell Community College Middlecroft Rd, Staveley, Chesterfield, S43 3NQ THURSDAY 20:00 - 21:00 7-A-SIDE 3G Astroturf SIGN-UP Tuesday - 18:00 Join Facebook group Women & Gender Minorities Division Join Facebook group Match Timetable Queens Park Sports Centre Boythorpe Rd, Chesterfield, S40 2ND FRIDAY 20:00 - 21:00 5-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN UP Wednesday - 18:00 Who we support Let's Go! GOT ANY QUESTIONS? CHECK OUT OUR MATCHDAY FAQS

WElcome to Sheffield. About us Join Mixed Division Offering multiple games a week, Milton Keynes Football For Foodbanks has been running since September 2021. We offer mixed gender games in a variety of locations, as well as providing free regular spots for local asylum seekers and refugees. Whether you're new to the area and looking to make friends or have never kicked a ball in your life; we’d love for you to come and give it a go! Use the map and timetables below to find your closest game. Find a match Mixed Division Timetable Match Timetable Sport Central Elder Gate, Milton Keynes, MK9 1EN THURSDAY 18:30 - 19:30 8-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Tuesday - 18:00 Radcliffe School Christchurch Grove, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, MK12 5BT TUESDAY 19:30 - 20:30 8-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Sunday - 18:00 Radcliffe School Christchurch Grove, Wolverton, Milton Keynes, MK12 5BT MONDAY 18:30 - 19:30 8-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Saturday - 18:00 Join Facebook group Who we support Let's Go! GOT ANY QUESTIONS? CHECK OUT OUR MATCHDAY FAQS

Despite supporting local food banks and tackling food poverty being our primary goal, there are still a whole load of other causes close to our hearts. Mental Health Charities, LGBTQ+ inclusive football teams, Charities fighting Period Poverty and Refugee Charities are just some of the other organisations we are proud to support. In the Press OTHER ORGANISATIONS WE SUPPORT Between April 2022 and March 2023, 760,000 people used a food bank for the first time. - THE TRUSSELL TRUST Play football, support food banks Our slogan is simple, “Play Football, Support Food Banks” and if you join us, that’s exactly what you'll be doing. Around £1 of your match fee goes straight to food banks, either in the form of cash or physical donations. Sadly, the number of food banks in the UK continues to grow, which means they need our support more than ever. food banks we support 93% of organisations reported an increase in the need for their services since the start of 2022. - THE HOUSE OF COMMONS LIBRARY Let's Go! Join the FFF Community Find a match near you organisations we collaborate with

Pla y F ootball, Support Foodbanks Who we are we are football for foodbanks, a charitable organisation that provides safe spaces to play football, whilst raising money and donations for local food banks. Founded in 2020 we are now active in Six locations: Sheffield, Manchester, Chesterfield, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Rotherham. THE STORY Join the Facebook group Join the Football For Foodbanks Facebook group for your local area. We're currently running matches in Sheffield, Manchester, Milton Keynes, Chesterfield, Northampton and Rotherham. Sign up for a match Comment on the sign-up post at 6pm two days before the match to join us. Slots usually get booked up quickly, so don’t leave it too late to comment. If it’s your first ever game with us, send us a message and we'll get a spot reserved for your first match. Turn up and Play! Bring your boots, some water and a card to pay your £4 match fee and that's it! We assign random teams before the match and usually play for an hour. Matches are anything between 5 and 11 a-side depending on the pitch. How To Play Who can Play? Find a Match We’re proud to say that no matter who you are, there’s a place for you at football for foodbanks. We have men's divisions and women and gender minorities' divisions - you play wherever you feel comfortable. What We Do Find Out More Well, we play football. To be honest though, we’re not particularly good at it. The difference when you play a game with us however, is that you can go home knowing you’ve helped feed the less fortunate in your city. Now let's find you a match Matchday FAQs Got more Questions? Check out our Matchday FAQs Who can Play? Find a Match We’re proud to say that no matter who you are, there’s a place for you at football for food banks. We have men's divisions and women and gender minorities' divisions - you play wherever you feel comfortable.

Our players are the best that we could ever ask for. They are full of positivity, encouragement and laughs. We like it that way. However sometimes things may happen in a game that you, or other players may not like. Check out our matchday policy below. Examples of things that go against our matchday policy could be; playing too aggressively, being a bit too negative, regularly blasting balls out of the playing area, refusing to pass the ball to certain teammates, etc. Our matchday volunteers will try and sort this on the day with you. If they are unable to do this, or if further action is needed, then they may feel it necessary to record an incident for our staff at head office to review. Here are the possible outcomes of that review: FIND A MATCH WANT TO GET INVOLVED? SELECT YOUR CITY AND FIND A MATCH If you wish to appeal your outcome, then we’d request that you email matty@footballforfoodbanks.com . Your incident will be passed to our directors to review, and then get back to you within 72 hours via email. Please note that any suspensions will stand during this time. We should let you know that any racism, homophobia, transphobia, or prejudice towards religion or people with disabilities results in an instant permaban. We really don’t like that sort of thing at all. No further action to be taken. A warning Time out, take a couple of weeks off Ban for a month A permanent ban

WElcome to Sheffield. About us From May 2021 we have offered games around Manchester in both our Men's and Women and Gender Minorities divisions. We welcome a real mix of Mancunians week in week out to join us for casual football sessions, regular socials and special events to support food banks across the city. Join Women & Gender Minorities Division Join Mens Division Use the map and timetables below to find your closest game. Find a match Men's Division Match Timetable SIGN-UP Manchester Academy High School Moss Ln E, Moss Side, Manchester M14 4PX MONDAY 20:00 - 21:00 7-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Tuesday - 18:00 Didsbury Barlow High Parrs Wood Road, Manchester M20 6BX THURSDAY 19:00 - 20:00 6-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Monday - 18:00 Levenshulme Energy Box Crossley Rd, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 1FS WEDNESDAY 19:00 - 20:00 6-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Sunday - 18:00 Burnage Rugby Club Varley Park, Battersea Rd, Stockport, SK4 3EA TUESDAY 21:00 - 22:00 6-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf Join Facebook group Women & Gender Minorities Division Join Facebook group Match Timetable Barlow High School Parrs Wood Road, Manchester M20 6BX THURSDAY 19:00 - 20:00 6-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturg SIGN-UP Tuesday - 18:00 Levenshulme Energy Box Crossley Rd, Levenshulme, Manchester, M19 1FS WEDNESDAY 19:00 - 20:00 6-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Monday - 18:00 Who we support Let's Go! GOT ANY QUESTIONS? CHECK OUT OUR MATCHDAY FAQS

WElcome to Sheffield. About us Despite being a relatively new division, we have been hard at work building a really fun and inclusive core base of players. All of our games are mixed-gender, so you’ll often see a wide range of players on the pitch. We’re constantly growing and would love you to be a part of that! Join Mixed Division Use the map and timetables below to find your closest game. Find a match Mixed Division Timetable Match Timetable Parkgate Astro 23 Greasbrough Rd, Parkgate, Rotherham S62 6HQ WEDNESDAY 19:00 - 20:00 5-A-SIDE 4G - Astroturf SIGN-UP Monday - 18:00 Join Facebook group Let's Go! GOT ANY QUESTIONS? CHECK OUT OUR MATCHDAY FAQS

You probably have a load of questions. Especially if you’ve never played with us before. We’ve tried our best to answer them below. Let's do this. General Match Day Pre-Match How much is it to play? £4 across the board. £1 if you are of low income. How do I qualify to play for £1? No questions asked. Football must be for everyone, and scrutinising or spot checking could put people off. I am of low income, but I don’t want to share this with anybody. Do people know what I’ve paid to play? They don’t have to. Not even the volunteers need to know. Please contact us here and we’ll arrange for you to pay in a different way. How do I pay you? We usually like to take payment from you when you arrive at the venue via our card machine. What should I bring? Water, a way to pay, appropriate footwear, appropriate clothing. Our venues tend to vary. Sometimes it’s grass, sometimes it’s astro turf, sometimes it’s the posh 4G stuff. Ask our organiser if you’re unsure what footwear would be best. What are the matchday rules? The rules change depending on the pitch and the number of players. We don’t really heavily enforce rules like offside or foul throws. We do like to make sure people are having fun, so if you’re being negative, diving into tackles, arguing with other players etc. then that’s generally frowned upon. Our matchday policy can be found here . How do you decide who the player of the match is? We just make it up as we go along to be honest. I’ve had a bad experience at the match. Who can I complain to? We are here to ensure that everyone has a good run out, and a positive experience so we take this stuff dead seriously. Please message the match organiser on Facebook. We will anonymously deal with your complaint as a collective. Match day > How much of the money I’m giving you goes to foodbanks? On average, about 70% of all profits go directly towards filling cupboards in your local community. How did Football For Foodbanks start? See here for a more in-depth timeline of how we began. I’d like to make a donation We don’t traditionally fundraise at the moment. You won’t find us on JustGiving or any other crowdfunding platform. If you’re particularly keen on making a charitable donation, then get in touch with us here. I work at a food bank in a city you operate in, and I’d love for Football For Foodbanks to support us We’ll see what we can do. Feel free to get in touch with us here . I already play with Football For Foodbanks, and I’d like to volunteer at one of the food banks we support Get in touch with the head of your division and they should be able to hook you up. I would like to volunteer some of my time You legend! Contact us here to get involved. Can I start a Football For Foodbanks branch in my community? Possibly. Get in contact with us here and let us know where you are based. I can’t find the answer to my question. Get in contact with us here . General > CONTACT Got more Questions? GET IN TOUCH WITH THE TEAM > Pre-match What games are happening near me? Find your nearest branch here . Our weekly games will be published there. I want to play. How do I sign up? All signups are currently through our Facebook groups. Typically a volunteer will make a post asking for players a couple of days before we play. Just pop a comment on that post saying that you’re keen. Where do you play? We currently have games running across six different towns and cities; Sheffield, Manchester, Chesterfield, Milton Keynes, Northampton and Rotherham. Find your nearest branch here . How do I know I’m signed up to play? Matchday squads are posted on the day of the game. You should see your name in one of the team lineups, or a volunteer will let you know if you’re a reserve. What’s the standard like? This is the most common question we get. Nobody wants to turn up and stick out like a sore thumb. We get that. It’s highly likely that you won’t be the youngest, the oldest, the tallest, the shortest, the least skillful, the quickest or the slowest player we’ve ever had. Even if you are, we encourage positive feedback so try not to be concerned about how good you are. Chances are though that you’ll fall into the middle of the pack. I’ve never played football before - can I still join a match? Absolutely. We know it can be daunting to try something new. Just know that you won’t be the first player to join us having never played before (and we hope that you won’t be the last). I’m lost, I can’t find the venue. Please try to contact the matchday organiser on Facebook Messenger in the first instance. We’ll get you there. I have to drop out on the day of the match. What do I do? We get that this will happen sometimes. Please please please please get in touch with the organiser as soon as possible. If we don’t find a replacement, it means less money goes to charity as well as the teams being unbalanced. What happens if I keep dropping out on the day of the match? We’ve got a “three strikes within three months” rule. If you drop out three times on the day over the space of three months, that’s a permanent ban. Sorry for being tight, but like I said it’s the charity losing out. I have to drop out before the day of the match. What do I do? Please get in touch with the organiser as soon as possible. No harm done. I am non-binary/trans. Can I play, and if so which division should I play with? Of course you can play, we have so many trans/non-binary players that play in whatever division they feel the most comfortable with. Pick what works best for you.