Community Champions recognised with awards

Davinson Sanchez and Sarah Wiltshire have each been selected to receive our men’s and women’s PFA Community Champion awards for the 2018/19 season.

A trophy is awarded to a player at every Premier League, English Football League and Women’s Super League club who has gone the extra mile in support of good causes within their community over the course of the campaign.

This season, Davinson attended an inclusive football tournament hosted by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation where he met youngsters competing in the tournament, offering them words of advice and encouragement before giving out medals at the end. He also visited North Middlesex Hospital’s children’s ward, along with his team-mates, to give out presents to children in hospital over the Christmas period and made a surprise appearance to reward a young fan who had completed the ‘Three Peak Challenge’ at the age of just six during the half-time interval at our match against Burnley at Wembley on 15 December.

In addition to this, he has set up his own Foundation, Fundacion Davinson Sanchez, in his hometown of Caloto in the Cauca region of Colombia. The region is known as one of the most notorious rural areas for guerrilla warfare following a civil war. His Foundation gives opportunities for young children to play sport in a safe environment.

As well as playing for the Spurs Ladies first team and having a young daughter, Sarah delivers coaching session to local grassroots clubs, sharing her football journey with many young girls and inspiring them to persevere in pursuing a career in football. In addition to this, every Saturday she volunteers her time at a local soccer school to encourage more young girls to participate in football in her local area.

John Hudson, Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at the PFA, said: “The PFA believes that players who make that extra effort and contribution during the season should be recognised for their support and involvement in the local community. The award will hopefully raise awareness of the great contribution and importance many of our members attached to their roles off the pitch. We would like to offer our congratulations to this season’s recipients.”