Morecambe FC was a big winner at the 2024 Northwest Football Awards, held this week.
The club’s #YourHomeFromHome season ticket launch scooped the top award in the Best Club Marketing, Sponsorship or Engagement Campaign category, and the MFC Community Foundation's Veterans Project came out winners in the Community Initiative of the Season award.
Media and Content Assistant Liam Roberts also received special recognition in the Unsung Hero category for his countless hours and efforts as a volunteer before becoming a full-time employee with the Shrimps.
Representatives from the Club and Community Foundation attended the star-studded awards night at Emirates Old Trafford in Manchester where the Shrimps were recognised for some outstanding work over the past 12 months.
The #YourHomeFromHome campaign centred around a cross section of Morecambe fans from different walks of life, who were captured on film all getting ready to attend a game at the Mazuma Mobile Stadium.
The video also included an emotive narration, detailing the history of the club, and what it means to be a Morecambe fan, which was voiced by Stadium Announcer Mark Swindlehurst, and recorded at the Beyond Radio studios.
Matt Smith, Head of Media & Communications, spoke of his pride after the Club's season ticket campaign came out on top against the likes of Manchester City, Burnley and Preston North End.
"I couldn't be happier for every single person who played their part in bringing this concept to life," he said.
"When we first sat down to brainstorm ideas for the campaign, I made a decision to keep the whole process strictly in-house. That's because our extended media team is full of Morecambe FC fans and those who understand the Club and what it means to the community.
"It was always important for us to appeal to the fans at what was a difficult time off the pitch, to re-emphasise the importance of the relationship between Club and supporter, and I feel we did that very well.
"I'm so proud that we've been recognised for our efforts, and I thank everyone involved for their input."
Above: Stuart Glover and local veterans receive their award
After starting in 2021, the Veterans Project has become an integral part of Morecambe FC’s community offering as an organisation. The award-winning project aims to create a social space for Armed Forces veterans.
Initially, the project started with a monthly coffee morning, hosted at the football club. These monthly coffee mornings are still a big part of the Veterans Project, and attendance numbers have risen to an average of around 50 veterans per session.
Not only does this allow Armed Forces veterans to have a space where they can meet other people and have a brew, but it has also helped establish a strong community of local veterans.
In 2023, the club signed the Armed Forces Covenant, highlighting their commitment to supporting members of the Armed Forces community and their families. They are also members of the Lancaster District Armed Forces Covenant Trust.
The project employs a dedicated Veterans Project Officer. This role has allowed for the development of further activities and events for the veterans to take part in, including an invitation to the King’s Birthday Parade (Trooping the Colour), in recognition of the hard work of the project.
The club were also recently awarded the ERS Silver Award by the government’s Defence Employer Recognition Scheme, while in the EFL Community Awards 2024, the Veterans Project won the EFL League Two Community Project of the Season award, recognising the amazing work of the project in reducing isolation amongst veterans.
Speaking after picking up the Community Initiative of the Season, MFCCF CEO Stuart Glover said: "We are delighted to win this award as recognition of our work with the Veterans community locally and beyond.
"Community Foundations across the country do some amazing work supported by their football clubs and this is also a nod to the network for their efforts.
"We are passionate about our veterans and aim to provide activities and a safe space for like mined people to get together as much as possible.
"Through dedicated staff and committed volunteers, we now want push on to the next level."
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