Rotherham United and the Rotherham United Community Sports Trust will join in supporting the EFL’s first-ever ‘Week of Action’ in which clubs will join to showcase activity with EFL players and managers joining participants across England and Wales.
The ‘Week of Action’ runs from Monday 4th April and aims to shine a light on the power of football, EFL Clubs and Club Community Organisations (CCOs) which collectively invest over £59m in their communities every year, engaging with some of the most vulnerable members of society.
Alongside the EFL’s other 71 clubs, the Millers will be shouting from the rooftops about the excellent work that goes on within our community and is driven by both ourselves and the Community Sports Trust.
Not only will we use the week to promote the excellent work that goes on within our community using our website and social media channels, we are also dedicating this weekend’s fixture against Charlton Athletic to become our Community Takeover Day.
You can read more about our previous efforts of Community Takeover Day, HERE.
This weekend will have a "More than Football" theme with a number of activities and sessions planned to take place in and around AESSEAL New York Stadium ahead of the 3pm kick off against Charlton Athletic.
Among some of the many, many projects that we have collaborated on to support are Level Playing Field Weeks of Action, Premier League Kicks, the NCS project, our Fit Millers programme and our Future Stars sessions.
Our commitment to our work in the community is year-round and that applies to everyone at Rotherham United.
Millers fans will note that Paul Warne’s first team continue to ‘take a knee’ before kick off ahead of every single fixture, as a show of their ongoing desire to highlight the need to end forms of social injustice across the world.
Beyond that, we have used the vehicle of football to show our support to those affected by the conflict currently ongoing in Ukraine, whilst also remembering our own servicemen and women during the annual tributes which take place around Remembrance Sunday.
INCLUSION | We celebrated @lpftweets week of action by highlighting the importance of disabled fans, participants & staff. For more info on our sessions head over to👇https://t.co/8YalEak5wi Football is for EVERYONE & inclusive for all.#EFLWeekofAction
— Rotherham United Community Sports Trust (@RU_CST) April 4, 2022
https://t.co/3HcQdtC0K6
Speaking as the week kicked off on Monday 4th April 2022, our Head of Community Jamie Noble expressed his pride at the opportunity to celebrate the work that he and his staff perform, day-in, day-out, which is supported by Paul Warne and his first team players and staff throughout the calendar year.
“We have always prided ourselves on being a community club and will never lose sight of what a huge role that we can play in a town like Rotherham, but with the current manager as committed to the club and town’s culture as he is, we consider ourselves very fortunate at the moment and in as strong a position as ever to help the people within our reach,” he told www.themillers.co.uk.
"Across the board, from the Chairman to Miller Bear, we consider Rotherham United to be much more than a football club. It is the beating heart of the town. A hub and a base that people can come to when in need of support for so many different reasons."
“The Community Sports Trust continues to grow year-upon-year and with the players so committed to helping the people of the town, our visits in the local area are always brilliantly received when the lads give up their time to support us.
The Millers Memory Club continues to grow as we look to support former players, staff and supporters who are suffering, or have encountered memory-related illnesses among family and friends
“There are many, many projects and causes that we are proud of here at the club and the EFL Week of Action is going to provide us with the opportunity to tell you all about them, and inform supporters who perhaps don’t know who we are, or what we do, a bit more about us.”
Proud Millers - INCLUSION | This Year we launched our Proud Millers support group with the aim of bridging the gap between our club and Rotherham's LGBTQ+ community.
— Rotherham United Community Sports Trust (@RU_CST) April 4, 2022
Interested in becoming a member?
Contact inclusion@rotherhamunited.net or call us on 01709827767#EFLWeekofAction pic.twitter.com/lp5xZMwDc0
Rick Parry, Chair of the EFL, said: “EFL Clubs are embedded in the towns and cities from which they take their name and this bond is strengthened by the life changing initiatives they run across England and Wales every single day. The EFL Week of Action is an opportunity for us to celebrate this invaluable work and demonstrate the remarkable difference clubs have on their communities away from the pitch.”
Liam Scully, Chair of the EFL Trust, said: “Clubs’ work in their communities happens on a huge scale day in day out and directly aligns with priorities for the people in our communities both locally and on a national scale.
“The hours that are committed by our Club and Community Organisation teams and volunteers demonstrates an unwavering commitment to improving lives up and down the country and building stronger, healthier more active communities.”
You can visit the Rotherham United Community Sports Trust website, HERE.