EPIC Risk Management has renewed a collaboration with Championship football club Preston North End that will see the gambling harm minimisation consultancy deliver the man of the match award through the 2023/24 season.
Initially detailed a little over one year ago, the concept sees the club’s star player at every competitive first team home fixture at Deepdale gain the ability to donate £500 to a cause close to their heart.
“We’re delighted to be teaming up with EPIC Risk Management again this season for the man of the match award,” noted Ben Rhodes, Club Secretary at Preston North End.
“We know that some of the charities chosen last year were overwhelmed by the support from our players, the club and EPIC Risk Management, and we’re so pleased we’ll be able to have a similar effect during the 2023/24 season.”
The EPIC Risk Management man of the match award will officially return at Tuesday night’s Carabao Cup round one tie against Salford City, in addition to being in place at all competitive first team home games throughout the season.
“From EPIC’s point of view, it’s great to partner and connect with our local club; the one that I’ve supported since I was four years old,” said Paul Buck, EPIC CEO.
“It’s great to give something back as well. We are a gambling harm minimisation company and we do a lot of education and prevention, but to come in and actually help other forms or charities in other communities is really important to us.”
Following its introduction last summer, a number of initiatives close to players’ hearts benefitted through this past year, with national and international charities such as Oddballs Foundation and Galway Hospice receiving donations alongside more local causes. These include Rainbow Hub, St Catherine’s Hospice and PNE Community and Education Trust.
In addition, Leyland-based Tippy Toes Baby Bank, which gifts key items to young families in need of support, has been able to acquire a number of vital items for parents who otherwise couldn’t have afforded them after receiving funds each time Alan Browne and Ali McCann claimed the accolade.
“We always sit there and look to see who has won the EPIC Risk Management man of the match and when it’s one of the players that supports us, we always think ‘yes – now think of what we can do with it’,” commented Sue Wade, founder and CEO of Tippy Toes.
“The first thing we then do on Monday morning is think what it is that’s really needed; ‘is it that we’ve got a family that needs something specific?’, ‘are we low on safety gates, safety packs or mattresses?’.
“It gives us the opportunity to help all those families across the whole of Lancashire.”
