Community matchday mascot project

The Pompey Supporters Trust, working in partnership with the Fans Conference and Portsmouth Football Club are proud to announce the first of our "Community Pompey" projects - The Community Matchday Mascot.

The Community Matchday Mascot project provides a mascot place to children who otherwise may not have the opportunity to take part in the game experience at Fratton Park. The project launches at the Leicester City game on the 26th November 2011. These children have been identified with the help of Pompey Sports and Education Foundation and Portsmouth City Council and its hoped that we can give them a great day out.

The Trust approached the playing squad of Portsmouth Football Club who have kindly agreed to sponsor the Community Matchday Mascot project. This means that not only will the child chosen be the Community Mascot at a home game, they will get to keep the full Pompey kit they wear on the day. The kits can also be numbered up with the child's favourite player or their own name and the number of their choice. This will be paid for by the players. Furthermore, the supporters groups and online websites that make up the Fans Conference have also agreed to donate a sum of money for each game to buy a goody bag of PFC items for the mascot as an additional gift to help make the day truly special. The Trust is sponsoring the first and each Fans Conference group will take it in turns to supply the goody bag.

This ties in with the Trusts vision of "Community Pompey" - The Club and players, The Fans, The local Community all coming together to do something tangible, worthwhile and beneficial for members of our great City. The Community Matchday Mascot is the first of a number of projects that the Trust, in partnership with the Fans Conference, will be launching over the coming weeks.

The Pompey Supporters Trust need your support to really get "Community Pompey" up and running, we currently have nearly 900 Members and aim to reach 1000 by the turn of the year. With the support from our membership we believe that much more can be done, through Football, to enrich the lives of local people.

It is just £5 a year to join the Trust, less than the cost of two pints and for that you know you are getting a dedicated Board that will work hard on a range of areas, so please consider joining us.

Email members@pompeytrust.com or visit the website www.pompeytrust.com for details.

Portsmouth Football Club Release

Pompey skipper Liam Lawrence has said the squad are delighted to unite with supporters' in making a child`s dream come true for the remaining home games of the season.

The players are financially contributing to a community initiative which is the brainchild of The Pompey Supporters Trust in providing a match day mascot for home games.

This will start next Saturday afternoon when Pompey meet Leicester City at Fratton Park.

Not only will the mascot run out with the team but will do so in a full kit which will be theirs for keeps, numbered and named to their choice.

Also contributing to the scheme are the Fans' Conference, made up of the various supporter groups, who will provide a goody bag per match for the lucky mascots.

To enable this dream opportunity for children The Supporters' Trust have also liaised closely with staff at the club, the Pompey Sports and Education Foundation and the city council.

But it is the players' part in the enterprise that really makes it a unique one in working alongside fans in partnership.

Speaking of the initiative and players' part in it skipper Lawrence said: "The Supporters Trust are to be praised for the Community Mascot idea and the squad are only too happy to play their part.

"Our appreciation for the support we receive on the pitch cannot be stressed to highly and this provides a chance for us to work with the supporters' who contribute towards the tremendous backing we get on the pitch.

"Our fans backing at Fratton Park is like a partnership to us on the pitch and we are delighted to play our part in that for such a worthy cause."

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