Ward and Stobbs earn PFA Community Champion award
Joel Ward and Amber-Keegan Stobbs have been named PFA Community Champions in Crystal Palace’s End of Season Awards.
The award goes to those players who involve themselves with and support Palace for Life Foundation’s work in the community most over the last year.
Ward has been a prominent supporter of Palace for Life throughout its existence during his time in south London, and last season got involved with the Palace Kitchen and No Room For Racism campaign.
Palace Women’s Stobbs has also kept close touch with the Foundation alongside other charitable work raising awareness of mental health issues. She partook in various causes last season, including Zoom calls to youth holiday camps, Race Europe, campaigns against homophobia in football and the Marathon March.
Upon receiving the commendation, Ward said: “It’s an honour. This club is built on the community so to be recognised for that is something special.
“I remember I used to go in – when I was first here – to the stadium to the little classroom to see some of the youngsters working with the Foundation. Now it is where it is and there’s so much going on – so much more to go on and so much growth to happen over the coming years.”
Stobbs added: “It’s been quite busy… It’s good to work within the limits of what we can do and the community programme is so, so important.”
Finally, Foundation CEO Mike Summers explained how Palace for Life handled a uniquely challenging year, saying: “About half the year we’ve been locked down under the pandemic, so we’ve been doing a lot of work remotely with local young people. But the other half of the year we’ve been up and running. Since March this year, all of our programmes are back.”
Watch the full End of Season Awards show below!