United to host Community Matchday for Leeds fixture – with £1 for every ticket purchased donated to Oxford United in the Community

The work of Oxford United’s official charity will be celebrated on Friday when the club hosts its Community Matchday and shines a light on the role football has in transforming lives.

Founded in 1989, Oxford United in the Community operates as a registered charity and uses the power of football and the U’s badge to inspire happier, healthier and better connected communities across the county.

The charity works with more than 1,600 individuals annually across 28 locations in Oxfordshire and delivers programmes which cover four key pillars including participation, health and wellbeing and social inclusion plus education and employability.

Every ticket purchased for Friday’s Championship fixture against Leeds United will prompt a £1 donation from the club to the charity in support of its life-enhancing and life-changing programmes which are delivered to people of all ages, backgrounds and experiences.

Grant Ferguson, Oxford United Chairman, said: “We are incredibly proud of the work Oxford United in the Community does in delivering excellent programmes across the county by leveraging the Club badge to inspire people and improve lives.

“We are delighted to further support and celebrate this work at our forthcoming Community Matchday, which will take place each year at our closest home match to Easter on an ongoing basis.”

As part of the Community Matchday celebrations, the charity has teamed up with Football on the Brain to deliver an interactive pre-match pop-up stall for fans to find out how our brains control muscles, drive emotions and help develop skills both on and off the pitch.

Funded by the Wellcome Trust, Football on the Brain is a four-year University of Oxford project.

Supporters can try their luck at juggling while wearing vision-distorting prism goggles, test their multi-tasking skills and take a quiz to understand how sleep habits affect day-to-day life in the Exhibition Bar.

There’ll also be information on how U’s fans can sign-up as a friend of the charity for £5 per month and support its work to inspire people to become the best version of themselves.

Fans that sign-up will be entered into quarterly draws to win exclusive Oxford United prizes including Icons Restaurant hospitality packages, training ground tours, tickets and signed shirts.

Matt Everett, CEO of Oxford United in the Community, added: “There remains a perception that our work is delivered almost exclusively to young people through our holiday camp, skill centre and Elite Development Centre provisions.

“While those programmes contribute significantly to our wider charitable work, our operation today is about far more than delivery on the pitch.

“By collaborating with schools, community centres and prisons plus our partner charities and the football club itself, we’re able to deliver tangible change to people’s lives which enhances people’s physical and mental wellbeing, life prospects and futures.

“We look forward to showcasing this at Friday’s Community Matchday and thank the club for its continued support of our operation.”

To sign-up as a Friend of Oxford United in the Community for £5 per month click here. One person’s annual subscription could provide two weekly inclusion football sessions which help adults living with a learning difference to be active or provide a kit pack for two mascots to walk out with the first-team.