Its work now reaches far beyond football and education. From bringing bereaved fathers together through Dad’s FC to giving people somewhere to turn at its Community Wellbeing Hub, the charity has continued to grow around what its communities need.

For this edition’s Member Spotlight, we caught up with Amy Dunwell, Services and Partnerships Director, to talk about the Trust’s work, its relationship with Spring North and how members can help mark its anniversary.

Tell us about Blackburn Rovers Community Trust and the communities you support

We’re an independent charity based at Ewood Park, supporting people in Blackburn with Darwen and beyond. We were established on 14 August 2006, bringing together the club’s Football in the Community work and Playing for Success education programme under one charitable organisation. The idea was to build on that work and help more young people achieve their potential.

Twenty years on, football is still at the heart of what we do, but our work now includes mental health and wellbeing, education, employment, youth engagement and social inclusion. Through more than 45 projects and initiatives, we support people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities, including those facing disadvantage or barriers to opportunity.

That might mean giving an older person somewhere to meet friends each week, helping someone access mental health support or bringing people together who have been through similar experiences.

Being connected to Blackburn Rovers helps us start those conversations. Someone might come because they love the club or want to join an activity, then discover there’s other support available. We work with local organisations to help people find what they need, whether that’s through us or someone better placed to help.

How has working with Spring North supported your organisation

We’ve worked with Spring North since its days as the Families, Health and Wellbeing Consortium, so there’s a long-standing relationship there.

Over the years, we’ve worked together on projects including cancer awareness, our Rovers Adult Neurodiversity Service, the Neighbourhood Youth Offer, Holiday Activity and Food provision, Safe Hubs and Community Champions. But a lot of the value comes from the things that happen around those projects too.

The training has been a big help. It’s given our team opportunities to develop without us having to find and pay for everything separately. We’ve also been able to say what we need and help shape what’s available.

Spring North has also helped us navigate complicated NHS systems and raise awareness of our work. That includes putting Dad’s FC forward for the 1V Awards and helping us speak up for communities whose voices aren’t always heard.

Then there are the connections. We might know our local communities really well, but Spring North can say, “Have you spoken to this organisation? They’re doing something that could fit with your work.”

Sometimes that introduction leads to a new partnership. Sometimes it helps one person or one family get support they didn’t know was there. Both matter.

What makes the football club setting so valuable

People often already have a relationship with Blackburn Rovers before they’ve even met us. Coming to Ewood Park or seeing someone in a club tracksuit can make that first conversation feel a bit easier.

Someone might come along to play football, join a walk or talk about their memories of the club. As they get to know our staff, they might feel comfortable mentioning something they’re finding difficult.

That gives us a chance to say, “Did you know there’s a group you could come to?” or “There’s someone here who could help with that.”

You can’t rush those relationships, but once people trust you, it can open the door to support they might never have considered before.

Can you share an example of that approach in practice

Dad’s FC is a lovely example. It brings together dads who have experienced the loss of a baby or child and came about through conversations with partners who recognised there wasn’t enough support for fathers.

Coming along to play football can feel more manageable than being asked to sit in a room and talk about your grief. There’s something to do, and the conversations can happen when people feel ready.

Even getting through the door took time for some of the dads. But gradually, they’ve built a group where people understand what each other has been through.

Those friendships carry on beyond the football session. They look out for each other and welcome new dads in. Having people around you who understand, without needing everything explained, can mean a great deal.

The project won the overall EFL Community Project of the Season award in 2026. We were also named the EFL’s Championship Community Club of the Season that year, following our Community Club of the Season award in the “All other Leagues” category at the 2025 Northwest Football Awards. It’s lovely to see the work recognised, especially when we know what these groups mean to the people involved.

Tell us about the Community Wellbeing Hub

The hub opens on Wednesdays at Ewood Park. Our facilities are used for education for much of the week, but on Wednesdays the students are out training or playing matches. We thought, “We’ve got this space. How can we use it to help more people?”

People can come in for a brew and a chat, take part in an activity or speak to one of our staff or partner organisations. More than 40 partners are involved, so there are lots of opportunities to connect people with support.

Some people simply want company and somewhere to go during the week. Others might need help with their mental or physical health. Having people and services together means we can get to know someone and help them work out what might be useful.

It doesn’t all happen straight away. Some groups started with just a handful of people. But you keep showing up, people become more comfortable and word spreads. Over time, those groups can become a really important part of someone’s week.

How are you helping people access cancer information and support

Through our current Cancer Grant, we’re sharing information at matches, running workshops and starting conversations through our community projects, including the Community Wellbeing Hub and Tea and Talk sessions. Social media campaigns, including player involvement, help us reach people too.

A lot of it comes back to the trust our staff have already built. Training through our work with Spring North has helped the team feel more confident about sharing cancer information and starting those conversations.

You might be chatting to someone about a walking group or another activity and find a natural opportunity to share information about cancer, screening or seeking help early. They might take that information home and talk it through with a family member.

We’ve also brought health professionals into the club and hosted opportunities for prostate checks. Having that available somewhere familiar can make a difference. Someone who might put off arranging an appointment may feel more comfortable asking a question or getting checked while they’re already here.

Sometimes it takes one person in a group to say they’ll do it, and others feel encouraged to follow.

How are you marking your 20th anniversary

We’re holding our first gala on Thursday 26 November 2026 at Ewood Park. We couldn’t let 20 years pass without marking it, and we wanted the celebration to help support the work ahead too.

We’re aiming to raise £30,000 to help keep our Community Wellbeing Hub open for another year.

The hub means a lot to the people who come along, but it costs money to run and no longer has dedicated funding. We want to make sure people can continue to rely on it.

We’d love people to get involved by booking a table or donating a raffle or auction prize. And it doesn’t all have to be football-related. A variety of prizes will help us appeal to more people and raise as much as we can.

What would you like the next chapter to look like

It’s hard to say exactly what we’ll be doing in another 20 years because we don’t yet know what people will need. What matters is that we keep listening and are willing to adapt.

We also need to look after the charity’s future so we can carry on being here for people.

We won’t have the answer to everything, but we can work with others, speak up for people and help them find a way forward.

Some of the moments that stay with you are when someone who has lost confidence starts to see possibilities again. They find a group they feel part of, something to look forward to or a sense of purpose.

We’ve seen people go from taking part in a group to helping lead it, then becoming volunteers or moving into paid roles with us. Hearing that our staff or projects have made a difference to someone’s life means a great deal. We want to keep creating opportunities for that to happen.

What message would you share with other Spring North members

Talk to each other and let people know what you’re doing. It’s easy to be so busy delivering your own work that you don’t realise another organisation nearby could help, or that you could offer something useful to them.

Those conversations don’t always lead to a big project. Sometimes it’s an introduction or a piece of information that makes a difference to someone.

We’d also love to hear from members who would like to connect with our Community Wellbeing Hub. You might have information to share, a service people could benefit from or an idea we could explore together. Get in touch and let’s have a conversation.

To find out more about Blackburn Rovers Community Trust, visit the Trust’s website.

For anniversary gala bookings, prize donations or enquiries about working with the Trust, contact Ryan Loftus at ryan.loftus@brfctrust.co.uk or call 01254 508256.