Our striker Joe Pigott’s contribution to the community has been officially recognised with a deserved award from the AFC Wimbledon Foundation.
Joe was the pick of our Foundation for the PFA ‘Community Champion’ award, which highlights the work that the 26-year-old has carried out off the pitch.
As well as attending several school and community events from August last year to March, Joe played a central role in supporting the work of the Foundation by contacting elderly supporters during lockdown.
One of his calls involved answering a request from a supporter in the army, based out in Afghanistan. The Dons fan asked the club to contact his elderly father on his birthday – and Joe went one step further by arranging for the Foundation to present him with a Pigott 39 shirt!
Our Foundation Director Philip Rudling said: “Joe has always supported our work and the wider club community, and he has a great rapport with fans and young people generally. The club clearly worked closely to support its fan base during lockdown and Joe played a leading role in this ongoing communication with supporters.
“Joe was one of five or six players to complete daily calls at the height of the pandemic and he was always quick to respond to any extra requests from the Foundation. We would also like to thank, Glyn, Nick and Mark for giving us access to players and they also made many calls themselves, delighting our fans in the process.’
Joe Pigott said: “It’s a really nice award to win, and it’s great to feel appreciated by the community. I spoke to people (during lockdown) to see how they were getting on, just checking up on them really. Not just about underlying health issues, but mental issues as well, and just looking after our own.”
Look out later on for a full interview with Joe Pigott ahead of the new League One season.