The Reds’ official charity, LFC Foundation, has received two generous donations totalling £50,000, which will help support its mental health projects and COVID-19 community response work.
£25,000 was gratefully received from Steve Morgan Foundation’s emergency fund, which was set up in response to the Covid-19 pandemic to help support North West charities and not for profit companies. In addition, LFC’s CEO, Peter Moore, donated £25,000 from his charitable organisation – The Peter Moore Foundation – which will be used to fund a full-time member of staff to manage the LFC Foundation’s new mental health projects.
Launched earlier this year, the LFC Foundation’s mental health strategy comprises a number of projects aimed at helping children, young people and adults across its programmes.
Some of the projects include, a 12-week programme, in partnership with Action for Children, designed to help children recognise the signs of mental health issues, look at techniques and strategies to improve their mental health and where to go if they have concerns, a dedicated LFC Foundation professional counsellor available to provide crisis intervention to any referred participants and a drop-in community-based provision led by specialists to provide advice and guidance, where needed.
In addition to this, an adult male suicide prevention programme is also planned and will be delivered with specialist service providers and partners to provide targeted support to encourage men to talk if they have problems.
The welcome donation from Steve Morgan Foundation will help to bolster the Foundation’s COVID-19 community response work, supporting children and families to stay active and healthy at home through a range of virtual physical activities and mindfulness sessions promoting mental and emotion wellbeing – something that it is particularly important during these unprecedented times.
Social isolation is another key area of the COVID-19 community response work, as prolonged isolation and loneliness can lead to poor mental health and other related problems including depression and anxiety.
As part of LFC Connect, LFC Foundation and Club staff contact people at home to chat on the phone and have a virtual cuppa with them in a bid to help people stay connected and reduce social isolation among older and vulnerable neighbours in Anfield and Kirkby.
The LFC Foundation will also be launching a new virtual employability support service for people across the Liverpool City Region who have been made redundant or are at risk due to the impact of the Coronavirus outbreak.
As well as providing employment advice and key skills, the service will also look to support those suffering with anxiety due to potential job loss or uncertainty and help them prepare for life after lockdown.
Matt Parish, LFC Foundation Director, said:
“I would like to extend my sincere thanks to both the Steve Morgan Foundation and Peter Moore Foundation for their generous donations. Their support during these difficult times mean a lot and will make a big difference.
“There is so much great work happening at the moment and every penny will spent helping those in need in our local communities.
“During mental health awareness week, it’s important for us to highlight our projects that although currently running in a virtual capacity are continuing to promote the importance of mental health and ways in which we can look after it – particularly in such challenging times.
“Continuing to invest in and develop our mental health work is one of our top priorities, as well as ensuring that it runs throughout all of our programmes to help support our participants. I look forward to seeing our work in this area continue to go from strength to strength.”
