Our Christmas Campaign: An interview with John and Caroline Loveless
With the Victoria Park Food & Kit Bank in full swing, we caught up with John and Caroline Loveless, Founders of the Guernsey FC Food Bank, to talk about the origins of the scheme, why it’s so important for islanders and some highlights over the years.
Can you give us some background about how the food bank scheme launched?
CL: The scheme started in about 2013 and was a way to demonstrate that we are not only a football club but a community club as well.
JL: We wanted to enable the fans to put something back into the community at Christmas, which can be a difficult time for a lot of families in the Island, so that’s how we came up with the idea of the food bank.
How did you involve the wider community and encourage them to support you?
JL: The media has always been very supportive of us. Local television and radio were a great help in promoting the scheme to the community - most years I went to the Radio Guernsey studio to be interviewed.
CL: We’ve also promoted the food bank in the match programmes, and social media has also been useful in really helping us spread the word.
What do you find most rewarding about the scheme?
JL: It’s always very rewarding to see the generosity of the fans and also hear the feedback received from recipients of the hampers. Family Support Services has always been great at keeping in touch with us.
Have there been any challenges along the way?
JL: We have held a food bank every year, including during Covid, when we made the same number of hampers as other years.
CL: It’s fair to say that it has now reached a plateau so refreshing it by including Victoria Park, the Guernsey FA and Aztech Soccer should help to give it a real boost.
It’s always very rewarding to see the generosity of the fans and also hear the feedback received from recipients of the hampers.
Can you share any particular highlights with us?
CL: Over the past 12 years, we have received some very generous donations and have provided over 500 hampers, plus £1,000 in food vouchers, which have been gratefully received by local families.
How do you feel about Victoria Park and the wider football family supporting the cause?
JL: It’s great news! The involvement of Victoria Park, the Guernsey FA and Aztech Soccer should hopefully help us reach a wider number of people this year.
CL: It was great to see the Rangers youngsters bringing things along, as well as some of the Guernsey FA’s youth teams, it really shows the community spirit to the fullest. Hopefully, we’ll be able support more families this Christmas.
For more information and updates on the Victoria Park Food & Kit Bank and how to donate, follow the stadium’s social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn
Image: Andrew Le Poidevin
