Port Vale FC has been awarded Family Excellence Status for the 2021/22 season and joins a record number of 65 EFL Clubs who have achieved the accolade which recognises work done to engage with families on matchdays.
Family Excellence status acknowledges continuous improvement and best practice in family engagement across the leagues and supports clubs’ efforts to attract and retain young fans of the future.
Given the particularly challenging set of circumstances that society faced during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the work of EFL clubs to ensure supporters have been welcomed back safely, whilst boosting the matchday experience has been recognised across the scheme this season.
EFL Clubs received two ‘mystery family’ visits throughout the season, with their feedback and reports determining whether each respective club would achieve ‘Family Excellence’ status.
Now in its 14th year, the Family Excellence Scheme is an ongoing consultation programme, which aims to drive continuous improvement and best
practice in family engagement across the leagues.
Port Vale Chief Executive Colin Garlick said: “We are delighted to achieve ‘Family Excellence’ status. This award recognises the strides we have made as a club – not just over the last three years under new ownership but also since the pandemic.
“A significant amount of thought, time, effort and resource went into planning for the return of supporters to Vale Park. We continue to evolve what we call the ‘match day’ experience – with a focus on making Port Vale as welcoming and inclusive a club as possible.
“Seeing our number of Junior Valiants rise to around 1,400 this season is testament to our commitment to attracting and retaining the Port Vale fans of the future.
“The addition of initiatives such as the Staffordshire University FanZone, half time entertainment, improved match day programmes and the success of our recent ‘beamback’ and live streaming underline how, as a club, we prioritise the supporter experience.”
EFL Chief Executive, Trevor Birch, said: “I would like to congratulate the record number of Clubs that have achieved Family Excellencestatus this season.
“Ensuring a memorable matchday experience is vital to attract the next generation of young fans so it’s great to see so many clubs excelling in this area”.
“Fans returning to EFL clubs in their millions this season has been fantastic to see and club staff should be commended for going the extra mile to make the matchdays engaging for families attending live games.”
A full list of EFL Clubs to receive the Family Excellence status can be found at the EFL.com