Having raised more than £5,600 in their inaugural year, Ipswich Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks is holding its final collection of 2023 at Saturday’s derby, aiming to bring together supporters of the Blues and Norwich City for a common cause.
Saturday’s match epitomises the ‘Hunger doesn’t wear club colours’, slogan, which has been central to the Fans Supporting Foodbanks ethos since its inception, that it doesn't have a race or a religion, a creed or a gender.
Therefore, Town supporters are being asked to put club allegiances to one side in the battle against food poverty with a fundraising page set up for the Blue Army to donate to the Norwich Foodbank.
At the same time, Norwich City fans will be encouraged to support Town’s affiliated partner FIND (Families in Need).
Ipswich Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks (ITFC FSF) was born from the idea that football supporters can come together, regardless of club allegiance, to support those less fortunate.
It is one of more than 40 groups to emerge at clubs across the English footballing pyramid from the Fans Supporting Foodbanks (FSF) initiative launched by Liverpool and Everton fans in 2015.
Nationally, the group has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of donations for local causes and eventually aims to have a fan-led organisation at every club in the 92 and beyond.
Since the group’s conception in January 2023, the Blue Army has come together to donate more than £5,600 for FIND, alongside countless crates of physical donations.
Physical items and cash donations will be welcomed at the FanZone as usual on Saturday, with a new donation point located opposite the Planet Blue club shop on the Portman Road. This will temporarily replace the usual location at the Sir Bobby Robson Statue due to this weekend's policing.
ITFC FSF organiser Charlie Nixon said: "The generosity of fans both home and away throughout 2023 has been overwhelming.
"We are so proud of our fellow fans in supporting our endeavour to tackle food poverty in East Anglia and hope that this latest initiative will look beyond club colours to make a tangible difference to the lives of those struggling in Norfolk and Suffolk.”
Ipswich Town Fans Supporting Foodbanks can be contacted via ITFC.FSF@gmail.com, while they can be found on Facebook here and on Twitter here.