PLYMOUTH Argyle’s ACTing with Children programme has been crowned Championship Community Project of the Season at the prestigious EFL Awards, recognising its outstanding support for young people with a parent in prison.

The initiative, a first of its kind project in Cornwall and run by the Argyle Community Trust, provides vital emotional and practical support to children up to the age of 18, helping them navigate the challenges of parental incarceration.

Through creative workshops, mentorship, and community engagement, the programme fosters resilience and inclusion, ensuring no child feels isolated by their circumstances.

The project is supported by the Police and Crime Commissioner, the Chief Constable and Safer Cornwall through the serious violence prevention programme, Breaking the Cycle.

Argyle Community Trust operations manager, Jason Chapman, said: “We are proud to be delivering such a vital project. We were sad to learn these children are not identified as vulnerable. They are considered an “invisible group” within an overwhelmed system in society.

“We have worked with young people from a diverse range of backgrounds. We are a recognised and trusted organisation with 30 years’ community service. We have trained staff and a strong position within the communities of Cornwall. Our work in schools and prisons will ensure we have the partnerships, connections, and experience to deliver for vulnerable young people in Cornwall.

“Our bespoke approach also help us understand how trauma impacts an individual, what needs to happen to reduce any chance of re-traumatisation and build a relationship with them which increases their sense of safety, choice, and control. It focusses on what an individual needs.”

The award highlights Argyle’s commitment to making a meaningful impact beyond football, using the power of sport to transform lives and strengthen communities.

EFL chief executive, Trevor Birch, said: “The EFL Community Awards are a celebration of the role and collective impact football has in communities across England and Wales. Hearing such powerful stories from our winners reinforces the capabilities EFL clubs have in not only changing the landscape of our communities, but in changing lives too.

“EFL Club charities collectively support over one million people across England and Wales every season, and these awards highlight only a fraction of the programmes and initiatives that operate every single day. Our 72 clubs are at the forefront of helping to tackle societal challenges and adapting the services they offer to better meet the needs of their communities. It is this ability to be agile and responsive to individual community needs that makes this work so impactful.”

Research shows almost 80 per cent of families affected will not tell anyone outside close family and friends that a parent is in prison and there is no single mechanism that helps identify the actual number of children and young people affected, either locally or nationally.

Aims of the project are: