Lincoln City celebrates opening of 'game-changing' community hub

Jamie Johnson

27 June 2024 at 6:09 am·3-min read

Richard Wills, president of Lincolnshire Co-op, officially opens the new Co-op Community Hub at the LNER Stadium. He is joined by (L-R) chair of the Lincolnshire Football Association Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, Lincoln City chief executive Liam Scully, Lincoln City Foundation chief executive Martin Hickerton and Poacher The Imp — -Credit: (Image: Lincoln City FC)

June 26 marked Lincoln City’s 140th anniversary, but it also saw the opening of the new Co-op Community Hub at the LNER Stadium. The new centre will house the Lincoln City Foundation as they continue their extensive work in the community.

Lincoln City Foundation chief exec Martin Hickerton said: “It’s a game-changer, it’s more space, it’s more capacity. It all comes back to that central mission of happier, healthier, inspired communities.

“There will be a mixture of activities. It gives us classroom space, youth group space, there’s a function room that’s multi-purpose, it might be table tennis on a Wednesday, or something more active in the evenings.” Participant numbers have increased by 50% since the pandemic, with more than 7,500 people taking part in sessions last year alone.

Hickerton said: “It’s a really broad offering that we have, we want to help the community to be happier, healthier and inspired. That community is really diverse and really broad. We work with boys and girls playing football, we’ve got record numbers at the minute.

Lincoln City supporter Trevor Stacey cuts a cake to mark the club’s 140th birthday. Trevor is the son of Bill Stacey, one of two Lincoln City fans who died in the Valley Parade fire. He is joined by (L-R) Lincoln City’s record appearance holder Grant Brown, club director David Lowes and first-team captain Paudie O’Connor -Credit:Lincoln City FC

"But, we also work with older people. Every week we host people at the stadium, we have a cancer care and recuperation program called ‘Fighting Fit’, we have a male mental health program, we work in the prison, and we do an awful lot of work with community groups in the city, and the county as well.”

The Foundation has more than 40 volunteers, alongside 31 permanent staff. They carry out everything from helping the elderly and offering respite to people with cancer, to helping teach immigrants English and school sessions.

Martin said: “What you see is a physical manifestation of a football club that really cares about its community. That building could have been many things, but it is a community hub. The football club often take part in the Foundation’s work, with well over 100 player visits taking place last season.

Lincoln City players (L-R) Paudie O’Connor, Conor McGrandles and Jovon Makama pose at an event to mark the football club’s 140th birthday -Credit:Lincoln City FC

Imps head coach Michael Skubala said: “I think the football club is the community, and I truly believe that. The work that the foundation does is unreal, whenever I can support it, I will. What they have done with their £4 million social impact they have had is amazing, and if football clubs can help the community, then we should do.

“The Co-op building will open even more doors hopefully to helping people. I have seen it at different levels, at different clubs, and I think this club is amazing for its size in what it does for the community.”

Lincoln might have lost last season’s community champion Lasse Sorensen in his move to Huddersfield Town, but the new hub offers a brighter future. However, despite the grand opening of their new hub, the Lincoln City Foundation is not resting on its laurels.

The chief exec said: “We see it as a springboard really, this is like a platform to build on from. We are not resting on this at all, we are thinking ‘Where do we go next?’ We’ve got real aspirations.”

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