Foundation 92 and the Federation of Jewish Services, known as the FED, have partnered up to provide more support for Salford’s Jewish community.

Together, they are creating programmes of support that will help the most vulnerable Jewish families and individuals within the region.

The FED are the largest Jewish social care charity in Greater Manchester and is based at Heathland’s village in Prestwich.

They provide support for 1 in 8 Jewish homes, ranging from advice, home visits, help with shopping, and elderly care.

Foundation 92 is an independent charity formed by the Class of 92. They work to give back to the local Salford community through the hook of football; encouraging physical and mental wellbeing, supporting young members of our community, and helping struggling families.

Foundation 92 received funding from the EFL Trust, which allowed them to set up an inclusion and hate crime reduction programme to help unite the Salford community through football and education.

Tom Hutton, the head of Foundation 92, said: “The aim of the initiative is to bring 2 communities together. By joining forces, we are able to impact more individuals in a more rounded way.

“We hired a full time inclusion officer who would represent the Jewish community, Jordan Kay, who had ties through coaching football at Manchester Maccabi FC.”

The two charities delivered 50 food and supply packages to those in need in the Jewish community in late November.

This will be followed up by the provision of over 500 Chanukah packs to Jewish homes in early December.

Football itself will play a role in their future collaborations once government restrictions permit.

Raphi Bloom, the FED’s director of fundraising and marketing, said: “We’d like to have our [Heathland’s Village] residents go and watch Salford City play football. That gets them out of the care home and perhaps stimulates them. Especially, considering that a lot of them, apart from a 5-week period, haven’t really seen their family for a month. I think getting them out and reintegrating them into the community will be really important for their mental health.”

They also hope to run summer and school holiday sports camps for underprivileged Jewish children with Salford City FC to help promote physical wellness whilst also following cultural sensitivities.

“We want to work very hard with them on employment in the community, to make sure our job vacancies are publicised to the Salford community and perhaps help alleviate some of that job deprivation.”

Raphi Bloom continued: “I think this is a real example of how football clubs and their charitable foundations can work with not just the wider community and specific minority groups.”

“We provide life-enhancing and often life-saving care to our community, and to have them as a partner with us in doing this is really rewarding and very exciting.”

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