Rovers are delighted to confirm that we have received the Gold Award in the EFL’s Family Excellence survey for a fifth consecutive year.
The Gold Award is given to those clubs who offer an exceptional family experience on matchdays, with Rovers one of only 12 clubs to receive the honour for the 2022/23 season.
Independent assessors stated their visits to the Eco-Power Stadium unearthed ‘consistent evidence that shows the club continually putting the themselves in the shoes of new fans.’
Chief operating officer Shaun Lockwood said: “We are incredibly proud to continue our record of winning the Gold Award, which demonstrates that we put families at the heart of what we do and retains our status as one of the very elite in Family Excellence, which is a badge we wear with real honour.
“A tremendous amount of hard work goes into ensuring we provide the best possible matchday experience, particularly for those fans of the future, and we are delighted with the feedback we have received. Plenty of credit must go to those staff on the ground who deliver such a great experience at the stadium.
“We are constantly striving for better and are determined to improve the matchday experience for families and all supporters even further for the new season.”
Rovers were also received the First Impressions Touchpoint award at the EFL’s Family Excellence seminar, which recognised the initial impression made to first time fans at the stadium.
Marketing manager Mark Hughesman collected the award and said: “Engaging with young supporters and their families is such an integral part of our strategy to create the supporter base of the future.
“Everyone at the club has worked so hard to create a family friendly environment we can be proud of and the awarding of Gold standard kite mark is recognition of this work.”
The scheme recognises continuous improvement and best practice in family engagement plus retention of young fans of the future.
All clubs receive two assessment visits per season to determine the quality of family matchday experiences they provide.
EFL chief executive Trevor Birch, said: “Our clubs deserve an enormous amount of praise for the outstanding work they have done in making sure the matchday experience is a welcoming one for all families, which has helped boost attendances across all our competitions.
“From improved engagement with supporters before and after games, to innovative approaches on the matchday itself, such as creating dedicated fan zones and improving catering options, clubs are pulling out all the stops to enhance their offering and attract the next generation of young fans.
“I would like to congratulate all those clubs who have achieved Family Excellence status and thank them for their efforts.”