The development of QPR in the Community Trust, Queen’s Park Rangers’ official charity, shows a club firmly on its way back to embracing its community values.
Situated in one of the more disadvantaged parts of South West London, the club has been involved in charity work in the area since the mid-1990s.
However, in the early 2010s, this work was often overshadowed by a period of high spending as the Hoops experienced a chaotic time in and out of the Premier League.
With more than £100m spent on transfers over four years, the club faced criticism for trying to buy success and for straying from its roots as a community club.
In an interview with The Evening Standard, Les Ferdinand, tasked with changing QPR’s approach on becoming director of football in 2015, described this period as the ‘Wild West’ and not reflecting the club he once knew and played for.
In recent years, an expansion of community programmes, alongside a concerted effort to celebrate and showcase QPR’s charity work, demonstrates a desire to again position community as central to the fabric of the club.
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