West Ham United captain Mark Noble has made a donation of £35,000 to help provide food and medicines to isolated and vulnerable people in Basildon.
The borough is at the centre of the Hammers’ heartland, with many thousands of West Ham fans living in the town and surrounding south Essex area.
With that and his own determination to make a real and positive difference to people’s lives in mind, Noble has boosted Basildon’s community fund to assist those most in need during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
I have spoken before about how excited I am by what I see happening in Basildon and the potential for the future and I felt it was important to send a token of support at this time of need
Mark Noble
“The charity work I do is about making a real difference in communities that mean a lot to me personally and also to the West Ham United fans,” the skipper explained. “I like to see where it goes and I like to see how many people it helps, as it gives me a much better feeling to know it is going to a great cause and will help a lot of people.
“Basildon is a town and area that is full of Hammers, many of whom have roots in east London, and many of whom will be dealing with unique challenges during the coronavirus outbreak.
“I am so impressed by the way the community in Basildon is pulling together. It is so important at this time we all do what we can to look out for one another.
“I have spoken before about how excited I am by what I see happening in Basildon and the potential for the future and I felt it was important to send a token of support at this time of need.”
“It is a great boost at these challenging times to know that our friends continue to Believe in Basildon,” said Cllr Callaghan. “The donation will be administered by the community hub set up by the council to work with community volunteers and other local organisations to support vulnerable people through these difficult times. It is greatly appreciated.”
The West Ham captain last month pledged his support for the creation of a first-ever Youth Zone in Basildon, which would provide a range of daily activities and support for young people.
Noble was also a driving force behind the #PlayersTogether initiative, which was announced earlier this week and will provide donations from Premier League players to NHS Charities Together.
If any other business would like to help the Basildon community hub and volunteers who are supporting vulnerable residents in the borough, please email [email protected] or calling 01268 533333 and choose option 1.
The £35,000 donation came from from Noble and Revenue and Capital, a company concerned with generating revenue and capital for local authorities with which the 32-year-old is associated.
