The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Community Champion awards recognise those who have gone above and beyond for their club’s local communities, with Everett and Richards being celebrated for doing so this season.
Everett, who donned the Women’s captain’s armband for the first time this season, helped Palace for Life Foundation to launch our limited edition fourth shirt during a Rainbow Laces LGBTQ+ workshop in early December along with teammates Shauna Guyatt and Polly Doran.
The skipper also made appearances at Palace for Life’s girls-only soccer schools and Player Development Centres, helping to inspire the next generation of female footballers, and was part of the squad who joined in at our annual International Women’s Day tournament held at the Academy, as well as the community showcase filmed for Match of the Day last month.
Everett has been a shining example of a community Champion: getting stuck in, chatting to participants and always doing it with a smile on her face.
Since signing for the club, Richards has been a regular at Palace for Life appearances. He first came along to our Black History Month workshop in a school just yards away from Selhurst Park, and joined fellow Community Champion Aimee Everett at the Rainbow Laces LGBTQ+ workshop in December.
Richards has been an incredible role model to Palace for Life’s participants this season, and we can’t wait to invite him to more Foundation activities next season.
Presenting the awards alongside boxer Richard Riakporhe, Mike Summers, CEO of Palace for Life Foundation, said: "It’s been a great year. We've supported over 16,000 young people over the last year through our programmes.
"We've really grown our employability work with young people who are struggling, and we get so much support from our players. That’s absolutely massive for us.”
Richards said: “I enjoy the appearances! It’s a good experience to be around the kids and I just feel like I’m at home. It’s good to be a role model and set a good example for them.”
Everett added: "I’ve managed to get down to quite a lot this season. There's nothing better than going there, inspiring the kids. I come away with a smile on my face too.
"It's amazing what you guys do, and it's amazing the support a club like this can give to the community."
A men and women’s team player receive the award each year, with previous recipients including Tyrick Mitchell, Nathan Ferguson, Joel Ward and Wilfried Zaha; and Chloe Arthur, Leigh Nicol, Amber Stobbs and Ashlee Hincks.
Who are Palace for Life?
Palace for Life Foundation is the official charity of Crystal Palace F.C., which has been working with the south London community for over 25 years.
The Foundation use the power of football and the Palace community to change the lives of young people across south London, particularly the most hard-to-reach and hard-to-help, working with over 15,000 people each year to inspire them to find a better path and to lead a healthier life.
The money you raise will go towards three key areas of the Foundation's work:
- Keeping more young people away from knife crime, violence and anti-social behaviour
- Helping more young people find career & job opportunities
- Supporting more young people with their mental & physical health