Awareness week finishes with DS pitch procession

The club’s Community Week came to a fitting close on Saturday, with a rousing half-time reception for the Community Sports Foundation’s Down Syndrome participants.

Alongside their counterparts from the Newcastle United Foundation, the team were welcomed onto the pitch by both sets of fans, to showcase their skills in a series of small-sided games.

The activity on the pitch was the culmination of Community Week, a chance to celebrate the programmes, participants, and volunteers of the club’s official charity partner, the Community Sports Foundation.

Saturday’s matchday activity began with a fixture at the Family Fanzone between the Norwich City DS team and the Newcastle United Foundation, who had made the long trip down from the North-East that morning.

In front of a bumper crowd of over 100 supporters, the teams treated fans from both sides to an action-packed eleven-goal thriller, which the Magpies just edged.

Prior to kickoff, representatives from the Norwich City DS team then got the chance to form a guard of honour by the tunnel and welcome out the two first-team sides, as well as the game’s young Community Hero, Lottie Sykes.

Following Timm Klose’s goal just before the half-time whistle, the Norwich City and Newcastle United DS teams were introduced to the crowd before parading in front of the Jarrold & Barclay Stands.

They entertained both sets of supporters with a series of small-sided games, before revelling in another generous reception from the fans as they departed the pitch.

CSF Disability Officer Darren Hunter reflected:

“Some of our participants are often very difficult to bring out of their shell, but each and every one of them was transformed by the experience of being guests of the club.

“The response they got from both the Norwich & Newcastle fans was fantastic. They were high-fiving fans and really enjoying their moment in the limelight. The group were positively walking on air following their experience and I’m sure it’ll be something they’ll remember for a very long time.“

Norwich City players showed their support for the week by warming up in CSF t-shirts, and a ground collection raised over £2100 for the Foundation.

Among the activities and coverage during the week was a Street Life Soccer tournament, ground tours for disability groups, and the release of our Wish Day video, where a group of children with a range of disabilities recently met their Norwich City heroes at Colney training ground.

A number of local businesses and schools helped to support the week by hosting themed Green & Yellow Days to help raise funds for the Foundation.

Emma Fletcher, CSF Fundraising Officer said:

“On behalf of the Foundation, I’d like to thank all those who supported Community Week, including the volunteers, those who have donated or schools, businesses or supporter groups.

“Special mentions in particular to PUPS (the Pink ‘Un Pickers) who gave us a cheque for £1,500, the Newcastle United DS team who travelled so far to take part in our celebrations today, and our main club sponsor Aviva who supported the week by providing volunteers.

“Hopefully we have raised a lot of awareness for the invaluable work that we do in the community and the lives that we help to change.”

See the photo gallery here.