Joe Dix Foundation Announced as Community Partner

Norfolk County Football Association is delighted to announce the Joe Dix Foundation as its official community partner for the next two seasons.

The new partnership for Norfolk County FA was officially launched at the Norfolk FA Volunteer Awards 2024, on Friday evening at Sprowston Manor Hotel. You can read more about the Volunteer Awards by clicking here.

In previous years Norfolk FA has supported various local initiatives and campaigns including ‘It’s on the Ball’, ‘Match of the Dads’ and ‘The Offside Trust’ – our most recent community partner.

This next period of support will tie in with Norfolk FA’s recent announcement of Big C as the Association’s Charity Partner, with both organisations agreeing to a two season partnership.

The Joe Dix Foundation

On January 28, 2022, Joe was tragically stabbed to death in Norwich. The Foundation’s goal is to raise awareness of child criminal exploitation and knife crime to prevent any family from enduring the heartbreak that Joe’s family has faced. The Foundation’s interest is in ALL young people, helping them to understand the consequences of their actions, which will aid them to make better choices and live safer lives.

A major initiative of the Foundation is the use of Catastrophic Bleed Bags. A catastrophic bleed is defined as extreme bleeding that is likely to cause death in minutes which is usually the result of an accident or injury where an artery has been punctured. The bag is highly visible that is small enough to store securely yet can be easily located. Bleed bags are specialised trauma kits designed to provide bystanders with the products they need to stop life threatening bleeding until further assistance arrives.

The partnership with Norfolk FA will enable the education of young people and families about the dangers of gang culture, knife crime, and child exploitation. Football has the power to be more than a game as it reaches all areas of our communities, with the hope for this partnership to allow young people to live safely in Norfolk.

Chairman of Norfolk FA, Michael Banham said: “Being able to support the Joe Dix Foundation is something that our Association is very proud of because of the impact they directly have on the lives of people in our County. When our partnership was officially launched last Friday, it was great to listen to Emma and Phil talk about the work the charity does in memory of Joe, including the importance of Catastrophic Bleed Bags.

“I implore everyone to visit the Foundation’s website and read about Joe’s story and the importance of awareness of child criminal exploitation.”

Founder and Director of the Joe Dix Foundation, Emma Dix, added: "The Joe Dix Foundation are thrilled to be announced as Norfolk FA’s Community Partner for the next two years. We look forward to raising awareness within the football community of child criminal exploitation, gangs and knife crime, while aiming to help children keep themselves safe and make good decisions. As part of the partnership; parents, careers and coaches will be armed with the information to spot the early warning signs of exploitation and seek early intervention.”

For more information surrounding Norfolk County Football Association, please visit NorfolkFA.com and for more information about the Joe Dix Foundation please visit https://joedixfoundation.co.uk.