Rotherham United Community Trust (RUCT) is thrilled to announce that we have been named the English Football League (EFL) League One Community Club of the Season at the 2025 EFL Awards.
This prestigious award recognises our continuing commitment to serving the Rotherham community through a diverse range of impactful initiatives, campaigns, and programmes.
Over the 2023/24 season, RUCT engaged with over 15,000 unique participants and generated more than £15 million in social value, saving the NHS an estimated £8.2m. Our programmes have focused on promoting inclusivity, health, education, and community cohesion. Notable projects include empowering women through menopause support, uniting diverse communities via football, and creating life-changing employment opportunities.
In addition to this honour, we are proud to share that RUCT has also been nominated for the EFL Diversity Award for our United 4 Communities programme. This nomination celebrates the Trust’s exceptional efforts to foster inclusion, equality, and cultural understanding through sport and community work.
Dan Wilson, Chief Executive Officer at Rotherham United Community Trust, said:
“I am immensely proud of our team’s dedication and the positive impact we’ve made in the community. This award, and our nomination for the Diversity Award, are reflections of our commitment to making a difference in Rotherham and beyond.”
In response to the 2024 race riots in Rotherham, we intensified our efforts to rebuild trust across the town. By expanding our United 4 Communities initiative, we implemented activities aimed at breaking down barriers and encouraging positive interactions. As a result, 85% of participants reported an increased understanding of different cultures and backgrounds.
EFL Chief Executive Trevor Birch commended the role of football clubs in transforming communities, stating:
“Hearing such powerful stories from our winners reinforces the capabilities EFL Clubs have in not only changing the landscape of our communities, but in changing lives too.”
Rotherham United Community Trust has also previously been recognised as the North East & Yorkshire Community Club of the Year in both 2016 and 2017, and was awarded EFL Green Club of the Season in 2024 after the Trust’s Go Green campaign. This initiative led to projects like #TidyUpOurTown, Swap Shop, and the ‘Ten Top Tips’ guide, engaging over 150 community members and collecting more than 1,100kg of litter.
Alongside this, the Trust played a key role in winning the EFL Player in the Community Award in 2023, where Rotherham United’s Hakeem Odoffin was honoured for his outstanding community engagement.
Some of the Rotherham United Community Trust team will be attending the EFL Awards on the 27th of April to celebrate their achievements. We would like to thank everyone who has been involved in RUCT’s initiatives, whether this be as a staff member, volunteer, participant or the many other ways we get support from our amazing community.
