Nottingham Forest Community Trust have been providing festive support to those in need this Christmas. Throughout the month of December, the Trust has been working with Himmah, Nottingham’s largest independent food bank. By donating time, food and toys to fuel provisions for families across Nottingham, Nottingham Forest Community Trust hope to have spread a little bit of joy to those who may be struggling at this time of year.
This week, efforts were amplified even more as nine first team players joined volunteers from Himmah to offer support. On Wednesday the Community Trust welcomed the players who spent the afternoon creating their own production line and handing out food parcels to local families.
Himmah, the largest independent food bank in Nottingham, is driven by a commitment to combat food poverty, racial discrimination, and educational disparities. They provide hot meals weekly, supply school uniforms to families with limited resources, and operate a mini-supermarket at their facility in Radford.
The players’ efforts were greatly appreciated by the volunteers at the food bank as during the festive period, the demand for these packages’ doubles. Uzair Hashmi, Operations and Volunteer Lead at Himmah expanded on this: “This week at Himmah, we had the mammoth task of creating nearly 1,000 parcels – enough for everyone to eat over the Christmas period. We were lucky enough to have a visit from the Nottingham Forest first team. In one of the busiest weeks of the year, they came to the rescue and made over 300 emergency food parcels”.
Food banks are organisations that many of us are aware of, but they are also something that many of us are lucky enough to have not had to rely on. According to data from The Trussel Trust, the number of people that are turning to food banks in order to guarantee their next meal has increased by 16% since 2022, with a significant number of these take ups occurring for families for the first time. These humbling insights were highlighted to the players before the assembly line began, displaying to them the crucial nature of where they were, and providing some eye-opening context on exactly why they were there to support the volunteers.
“It has been a year of financial struggle more many people”, Uzair elaborated, “the Forest team helped deliver a slice of Christmas to Nottingham. It was heart-warming to see footballers both making food parcels and issuing them directly to our service users. For our users and the players’ themselves, it was a truly special exchange”.
For some players, that ‘special exchange’ particularly hit home; “For me, I’ve gone through a few Christmases with my family where it has been tough, so to take some time out and give back is really good and I hope that it was received well” explained Nottingham Forest defender, Ola Aina, “it was a real eye opener into what they do, and I’m glad that we could be a part of it”.
Nottingham Forest midfielder, Ryan Yates, expressed his compassion for the organisation and said, “to give a small part of our afternoon is huge for them and for us to see how it helped”. For Himmah, a little goes a long way in terms of donations, whether it be food or time, and so the light that we have been able to shine on Himmah, as a Community Trust, and through the players, is something that we hope can raise awareness on the importance of Himmah for families going through tough times.
Calum Osborne, Nottingham Forest Community Trust CEO said, "We believe in the transformative power of community engagement, and our collaboration with Himmah exemplifies the heart of our commitment to making a positive impact.
“Welcoming nine first-team players to witness and actively participate in the crucial work undertaken by Himmah was an intentional effort to bridge the gap between the football club and the community we serve. Nottingham Forest Community Trust recognises the importance of not just providing support from a distance but immersing ourselves in the realities faced by those in need. By working hand in hand with Himmah, we aimed to go beyond donations and truly understand the challenges faced by the community.
“The players' involvement was not just about creating food parcels; it was about developing a genuine connection and demonstrating that we stand together with our community during times of struggle. This initiative reinforces our belief that by working together, we can create a positive and lasting impact on the lives of those who need it most”