Ambassador, Ilia Gruev, Recognised With Community Champion Award

Community Integrated Care Ambassador and Leeds United midfielder Ilia Gruev, has been honoured with the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Community Champion Award, dedicating the honour to Community Integrated Care and recognising the charity’s impact on people’s lives.

The PFA presents this award each season to players who go above and beyond to support and inspire their communities. Ilia’s recognition reflects a year of exceptional dedication to charitable initiatives across Leeds, with his work alongside our charity at the heart of this achievement.

As an Ambassador for the charity, Ilia has created truly memorable experiences for people we support over the past two years. From surprise visits to supported living services to unforgettable matchday opportunities at Elland Road, he has consistently shown genuine care, building meaningful relationships and helping make dreams a reality.

Speaking after receiving the award, Ilia said: “When I joined Leeds United, I quickly realised this club is built on a passionate community. Meeting so many amazing people across the city has been incredibly rewarding. As players, we’re in a privileged position, and it’s our responsibility to give back to the people who support us through everything.

This award might have my name on it, but it truly belongs to the people at Community Integrated Care, the volunteers and the wider Leeds community.
Thank you to the PFA, the club and the people of Leeds for always welcoming me with open arms. We keep marching on together.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Ilia Gruev (@ilia_gruev)

John Hughes, Director of Partnerships and Communities at Community Integrated Care, added: “This recognition reflects the genuine passion Ilia brings to our Best Lives Possible mission. He has shown total commitment to ensuring the people we support can enjoy the club they love, inspiring individuals and helping them experience moments that truly matter.

Ilia takes real care in every interaction, building meaningful connections with people who are too often overlooked, and using the power of football to enrich lives. From surprise visits to unforgettable matchday experiences, he consistently goes above and beyond to break down barriers and support people on their own terms.

He is a true Ambassador for Community Integrated Care – bringing attention, empathy and action to our cause.

Our charity would like to congratulate Ilia on this well-deserved achievement and thank him for the positive impact he continues to make in people’s lives.”