COMMUNITY
COMMUNITYa-soup, noodles and washing tablets.
All collected items are donated to North
Liverpool Foodbank and made into three-day
emergency food parcels for local people in
crisis in North Liverpool.
Simon Huthwaite, its operations manager,
says: “The continued support from both
clubs is massively important and makes a
huge difference to the work we do and the
vulnerable people we support.
“Each year the food collected at Anfield
and Goodison accounts for 25 per cent of the
total food that we collect. The timing of the
Christmas appeal was also really important as
the period is our busiest time of year.”
As part of LFC’s dedication to tackle food
poverty, the club’s Red Neighbours community
programme backs the Fans Supporting
Foodbanks initiative and hosts foodbank
collections at every home game.
Also at Anfield, locals from across the
community were invited to get into the
Christmas spirit at the stadium’s annual carol
service organised by Red Neighbours.
Club chaplain Bill Bygroves hosted the
service as the choir from Notre Dame Catholic
College stole the show with their rendition of
You’ll Never Walk Alone. Over 500 people were
present, including Hillsborough Family Support
Group chair Margaret Aspinall and Reds legend
Alan Kennedy.
“What I like about it more than anything is
that there are different types of people and
cultures here today,” said Margaret. “I love the
way Bill involves everybody, making everyone
feel special.”There were Christmas dinners for
pensioners at Anfield, too, again thanks to Red
Neighbours. Over 700 locals were invited over
seven days to enjoy a three-course dinner and
sing-along with friends and family.
Local resident Brenda, who attends Red
Neighbours’ Monday Club every month, said:
“It’s great to be here, it means everyone gets
out for the day and has a good time. The main
thing is that it takes the loneliness away for a
lot of the people.”
Support for the elderly community is
one of the four main areas of focus for Red
Neighbours, and a number of activities took
throughout the festive period and beyond
as part of the programme’s bid to tackle
loneliness and isolation within the Anfield
region.