It has been announced that as part of the EFL Awards 2020, Luton Town FC — the Hatters — have been named Kin & Carta Family Club of the Year for the Championship.
The Hatters have received the Family Excellence Gold Award each year since it was introduced in 2018, the same year in which they also won the main divisional award for League Two.
Across the club, they have remained fully focussed on retaining there Gold status for 2019-20 and into the future by continuing to improve the experience for families visiting home Kenilworth Road wherever possible.
The EFL wrote to inform the club of the award, stating that: “the judging team was impressed by the Club’s clear and unwavering commitment in delivering a first-class family experience at Kenilworth Road.”
They went on to explain: “The Club is no stranger to recognition for family engagement, and continued efforts to seek to overcome stadium limitations by creating a quite outstanding match day experience for families, have been hugely impressive.
“From entertainment inside and outside the stadium, here to help staff, on and offline friendly advice for fans and families, and a consistency across the Club’s matchday touchpoints, all illustrates the clear commitment to making family and fan engagement a key area of leadership focus.
“The impact this has had is further evidenced in the Club’s Family Excellence mystery fan visits each season, demonstrating how the Hatters’ focus on families has become entrenched in its culture.”
Some of the factors that have enabled them to earn this prestigious accolade include:
- Improvements to the KR Family Zone including graffiti art, a soft rubber surface to make it safer and picnic benches for families to sit and eat
- The introduction of baby-changing facilities across the stadium
- Continuation of Family Fun Days, featuring visits from the RSPB and Natural History Museum
- Further developments to the Hatters Hideout, with FIFA 20, table football, board games, art and craft themes and a new Hatters library scheme to encourage reading
- Pocket money items on sale at kiosks and gift bags for visiting clubs’ junior supporters
- A Memory Wall which allows supporters to leave personal messages to loved ones no longer with us
- Golden Hatter and Community Champion awards for people who go above and beyond for the club and the town
- Sensory hours at the club shop
- Roald Dahl Day competitions and milk giveaways on World Milk day
- Online improvements to both their website and social media, including an Instagram page for mascot Happy Harry.
