'More to come' after Moore wins EFL community award

Taylor Moore (left) won the EFL's League One Community Player of the Year award

Bristol Rovers defender Taylor Moore said there is "a lot more to come" from his mental health initiative after winning an English Football League community award.

Moore was awarded the League One Community Player of the Year by the EFL after launching a mental health initiative last year called "5K Your Way" to promote mental and physical wellbeing, partnered with the Bristol Rovers Community Trust.

Participants take part in a 5km walk in various parts of Bristol - the most recent one started at the SS Great Britain - and are encouraged to engage in open conversations about mental health.

"I can't remember what game it was but it was on a Tuesday night and we'd lost at home and the day after I was doing my little bit with the community and you find yourself stood there surrounded by people with a big smile on your face," Moore told BBC Radio Bristol's Having a Gas.

"It just makes you forget about football for a couple of hours and I found that really powerful.

"If I can have the same affect on people as well, if they can come down to one of these events, have a walk, have a talk, whatever it may be, and for a couple of hours they forget their problems, their issues, work, relationships, finance whatever it may be."

Moore travelled to the awards ceremony in Parliament in London where Norwich City's Jack Stacey also won for his volunteering work, as did Doncaster Rovers' Joseph Olowu for his support of a refugee and asylum seekers project.

The first '5K Your Way' walk saw 40 people turn out, while the second in January also had a talk from a motivational speaker and life coach.

"It left everyone there on the day some tools to go away and think about, and that was fantastic," Moore said, with Rovers three points above the relegation zone in League One.

"There's a lot more to come from this project. We just need to focus on the task in hand of staying in League One and then take it there but we've got so many ideas and so many things to look forward to."

A third event later this month is set to include a comedy show.

"What better way to make people feel better than to make them laugh," Moore said.