Club praised for community response in fans' survey

The response of Wolves Foundation and the club as a whole to the Covid-19 pandemic has been praised by supporters in the latest Premier League Fan Survey.

Eighty per cent of Wolves fans who completed the survey during last November and December stated that they felt Wolves had been supporting them during the pandemic, well above the overall Premier League figure of 64 per cent.  

And 81 per cent of the 2,395 Wolves supporters contributing believed that the club had also supported the local community, compared to the figure of 68 per cent from the Premier League overall.  

Ninety-one per cent of those surveyed said that Wolves perform well in the area of community engagement, compared to the Premier League average of 84 per cent.  

Now in its 25th year, the independent survey is commissioned by the Premier League with the aim of analysing the views of supporters and discovering and comparing their thoughts about off-field performance.  

As well as those headline figures already mentioned, other areas covered include overall attitudes towards the club, community initiatives, broadcast consumption and thoughts about club content and the level of supporter interaction.  

In all the community-based questions, Wolves and the Foundation had improved on its performance from the previous data from the 2019/20 campaign.  

Ninety-one per cent of fans stated that the Foundation make a ‘significant contribution’ to the local community, up from 84 per cent, while 86 per cent of supporters said they were aware of club community initiatives, up from 74 per cent.  

On a similar theme, 85 per cent of fans said Wolves are very good at telling fans about work being carried out in the community, up from 76 per cent and above the Premier League standard of 79 per cent.  

The survey’s results reflect the considerable and varied range of services provided by Wolves Foundation as it has adapted during the pandemic to try and continue to meet the needs of the local community.  

Highlights have included first team players from the men’s and women’s teams leading online activities, former players joining staff in making telephone calls to elderly and isolated supporters, as well as working closely with owners Fosun to provide vital PPE equipment to local hospitals and care homes.  

“It has been a very challenging year for the Foundation, like it has for everyone, and I remain proud of how our staff have both reacted and adapted to support people of all ages across the community,” says head of the Foundation, Will Clowes.  

“It is very rewarding to see our work reflected in the results of the Premier League fans survey.  

“For all of us connected with the Foundation it is important that supporters are aware of the wide range of projects we are involved in, as we continue to move forward and provide a programme of activities which is of the most benefit to the local community.”  

Wolves chairman Jeff Shi added: “This last year has been very difficult for so many people in the local community and I am very proud of the way Wolves Foundation and the club as a whole have responded. 

“Staff have worked together in different areas to provide help where it has been needed, and it is very pleasing to see the positive impact reflected in the results of this survey. 

“We know there are still challenging times ahead and Wolves and the Wolves Foundation will continue to work hard to support people in the city who have been affected by the pandemic.” 

The surveys were completed even before the January launch of the Feed Our Pack project focusing on reducing food poverty caused by the pandemic, for which fans have already raised over £70,000 on top of the initial £500,000 investment from the Premier League & PFA Community Fund and head coach Nuno Espirito Santo.  

The Foundation’s projects and services are now moving closer to returning to more normal operations under the new Covid regulations, with immediate priorities including providing support with mental health services, food poverty provision, education and employability.