Seasons2019-20Everton News
Everton's Blue Family Campaign Provides Support For More Than 3,000 Individuals In First Month
For the last four weeks, Everton Football Club and Everton in the Community staff have been providing vital support and assistance for thousands of individuals and families in need across Liverpool in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic through its Blue Family initiative.
Delivered collaboratively by the Blues and its official charity, Blue Family is a coordinated outreach and engagement campaign to maintain contact with fans and participants as well as provide tailored and focused support, assistance and guidance to some of the most vulnerable, socially isolated and at-risk members of our community during these uncertain times.
And the first month of the campaign has seen Club and charity staff reach out to fans, participants and members of the community in greatest need with more than 1,750 check-in phone calls being made by staff, players and Club Ambassadors whilst a referral service for access to Everton in the Community's support provision has received almost 400 applications for support and assistance for individuals ranging in age from 18-years-old to 98.
Everton in the Community staff have delivered more than 850 emergency food parcels and distributed emergency foodbank vouchers to individuals and families living across Liverpool in addition to purchasing and delivering medical prescriptions for the elderly as well as medicines for a terminally ill child.
In addition to purchasing emergency food and hygiene parcels and medical prescriptions, money raised through Blue Family donations has been used to purchase gas and electricity vouchers as well as supporting other initiatives and charities across the city including North Liverpool Foodbanks, Fans Supporting Foodbanks, Liverpool 6 Community Centre
The money raised to date is being distributed widely to support other projects across Liverpool as well as providing bespoke support for individuals who have been referred to Everton in the Community and/or Liverpool City Council and has so far helped to fund food vouchers for local children living in poverty who have lost access to free school meals, essential kitchen equipment, providing meals for the homeless, housing support and helping to fund items such as TVs and radios for people who are self-isolating alone.
Increased communications output on the Club and charity's email, social media and web platforms including engaging content for those in isolation has reached more than 24,500,000 individuals as Blues all around the world have been tuning into exercise and mindfulness sessions, cookery demonstrations, bedtime stories and home-learning educational resources that have been compiled by first team stars and training staff across the Club and Everton in the Community.
The Blue Family initiative has also provided emergency support to Liverpool City Council's referral scheme with the donation and delivery of 100 food parcels which were distributed to those in need across Liverpool City Region.
Everton in the Community CEO Richard Kenyon said: “We are fully committed to doing everything we can to maintain and extend our presence in the community during this very challenging period. The first month of our Blue Family initiative has seen us step up our year-round community provision to provide essential support and assistance to more than 3,000 individuals across our city who have found themselves in need or wanting a friendly voice to talk to during these difficult times. We expect these numbers to grow over the coming weeks and we are continually evolving our outreach to ensure that we are able to provide the best possible support we can to as many people as possible.
“I would like to thank our inspirational community staff who have wholeheartedly thrown themselves into our Blue Family campaign and also our supporters who have donated so generously and all the companies who have stepped up to partner with to enable us to order to support those in need at this time”
Everton in the Community's Neighbourhood team continue to be on hand to support the 10,000+ residents living within the immediate vicinity of Goodison Park – one of the most socially deprived wards in England – and has provided housing and money management support as well as advice on benefits and Universal Credit in addition to support for local refugees and asylum seekers through the charity's ongoing relationship with British Red Cross.
The last 18 months has seen Everton in the Community's Youth Engagement team support 1,500 young people who are at risk of social isolation, domestic violence and criminal exploitation. These issues become more prevalent during the current climate as there is a rising concern around for these individuals as they become more and more isolated. The charity's support team are maintaining contact with the young people on its programmes and have increased its wrap-around support package including intense mentoring, bespoke support and necessities for its more vulnerable participants and families as well as preparing tools and resources to support rising anxiety concerns and possible bereavement support that might be needed now and in the future.
Everton in the Community's Youth Engagement team are also working to provide additional support for the families of its young participants as well as ensuring that the appropriate support and assistance is in place for vulnerable families of its 60 partner schools across the Liverpool City Region. As all of the charity's delivery takes place in areas of mass deprivation across Liverpool City Region, Everton in the Community will be increasing its outreach work to provide further support to families who have been identified as a top priority and may be struggling due to loss of income.
During the month of April, USM Finch Farm are donating £2,500 worth of produce each week to the Blue Family campaign. This donation will be delivered directly to North Liverpool Foodbanks by catering supplier Brake Food and will be used to build emergency food parcels for local families in need as well as supporting Everton in the Community participants and vulnerable, elderly and at-risk individuals through the Blue Family outreach work.
Award-winning social enterprise Community Shop has also committed to donating 100 emergency food parcels each week for Everton in the Community to distribute to those most in need during the coronavirus pandemic. Packed with essential items such as pasta, rice, cereal, tinned items and UHT milk, the social enterprise is also currently working with the charity to explore additional ways to support local families living in poverty with donated food supplies targeted at children.
And in the approach to Easter weekend, Community Shop also donated 500 Easter eggs to Blue Family which Everton in the Community staff personally hand delivered to participants from its PL Kicks programme to engage with families and check-in with them during this difficult time. Eggs were also donated to Huyton Hey Manor Care Home to help lift residents' spirits as well as being donated to those living in the Blue Mile.
Thanks to support from Alpha Taxis and Home Bargains, the charity has also been able to deliver food and hygiene bags full of essential items including nappies, baby wipes and baby milk to vulnerable, isolated and homeless individuals as well as elderly residents and new mums living in the Blue Mile whilst a generous donation of £1,000 from Access Point UK has been utilised to purchase microwaves for local families living in poverty who lack basic cooking equipment and prior to receiving a microwave through the Blue Family campaign, their child's only hot meal each day came from their free school meals entitlement.
Residents living across Liverpool 4 also saw their streets given an injection of colour when Aintree Racecourse kindly donated 40 hanging baskets to the Club's official charity. The bright and colourful hanging baskets were originally intended for use during The Randox Health Grand National 2020.
To give your support to Blue Family visit www.evertonfc.com/bluefamily
Reader Comments (43)
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2 Posted 18/04/2020 at 09:35:31
How and why that particular song is chosen for every occasion is a mystery to me but I always have had a strange taste in musc.
3 Posted 18/04/2020 at 10:15:52
4 Posted 18/04/2020 at 10:22:07
5 Posted 18/04/2020 at 10:26:18
6 Posted 18/04/2020 at 10:34:02
7 Posted 18/04/2020 at 10:36:47
I'd rather walk alone.
8 Posted 18/04/2020 at 11:08:08
We should campaign for an alternative.
Oasis - Stand by me? More widely accepted by the country, regardless of the singer's football allegiances.
9 Posted 18/04/2020 at 11:39:57
https://twitter.com/Kelltheblue/status/1251436992061222914
10 Posted 18/04/2020 at 11:50:07
Wish I knew how to link it, it brought a tear to my eye!
11 Posted 18/04/2020 at 11:56:50
12 Posted 18/04/2020 at 12:20:07
13 Posted 18/04/2020 at 13:04:02
I couldn't give a monkey's whether the media take notice or not, we know. To coin a phrase, "Those who understand need no explanation, those who don't understand don't matter"
A very big hand to Everton for all they do in the community. Fuck the RS media.
[BRZ]
14 Posted 18/04/2020 at 13:35:30
Dave Ganley's example of his mum's weekly call further shows such interventions are not scripted 90-second call-centre type contact, but personal and humane.
There will always be some who use EiTC as a stick to beat the club with, but for me you cannot put a price on their work. I would rather they continued presenting and representing the club in the good light that they do rather than re-direct the necessary funding to buy and maintain an iffy midfielder from the Balkans who can't make the first team.
And Patrick @ 11...thanks for the Z-Cars link. Excellent.
It's time we created some new memories, heroes and glories.
As YouTube is inclined to do, it followed that video up with this suggested one on present day match-going fans.
It's a gud 'un too.
15 Posted 18/04/2020 at 13:52:25
EFC is genuine heart and soul, and what EitC do as business as usual, week-in and week-out, for the community is incredible.
The irony but not unexpected choice of the RS anthem for Captain Tom does make you think. I suppose they wanted to use a British Song, so that reduces down appropriate songs, but this song is eternally over-hyped and sung by the RS and a club that the world knows is as shallow as it comes.
We will prevail, but I sense this weekend it's a reality check for this government if they've ran out, or are close to running out, of PPE for their staff. Critical days in view of what's been achieved so far.
Until there's a cure and reading that Hokkaido is seeing a second surge in COViD19, after lifting restrictions three weeks ago, I think the EPL, are playing with fire with their plans to play games behind closed doors.
This will create the temptation for under cover football parties and social gatherings and put added pressure on the NHS and and key workers.
Scrap the season - nul and void, across the UEFA region, to keep parity, tell the RS Echo and the RS TV media propaganda brigade it's tough shit, but man kinds survival is more important and preserving the UK work force and economy, than acting God and deciding who wins, comes second and gets relegated etc.
So does any one believe if and when times get back to a semblance of normality, will the international economic slow down, and recession, impact the “Beautiful Game?â€
I anticipate, a very back to basics stance and depending on whose still in employment etc could severely impact the game.
Let's see, but all stay safe and well and enjoy this weekend.
18 Posted 18/04/2020 at 13:56:30
He is very well respected on TW as you will be well aware of, I keep in touch with quite a few TW members, by phone or text, and many have asked about John.
While I appreciate there has been little in the way of Football matters recently because of this Covid-19 curse, and many regular posters are having a keyboard vacation, but would appreciate confirmation that he is okay. Thanks Patrick!
19 Posted 18/04/2020 at 14:13:45
20 Posted 18/04/2020 at 14:39:43
21 Posted 18/04/2020 at 15:10:50
22 Posted 18/04/2020 at 16:36:50
In terms of an appropriate song, what about “All Together Now†by the Farm? An Everton version was popular for the Wembley final in 1995 and it is by a Liverpool group.
[BRZ]
23 Posted 18/04/2020 at 17:47:49
The official club YouTube channel with a good number of full 90-minute complete games to watch.
Have you also watched this 25-minute mini-documentary on the club site about the 1969-70 championship winning season? Not much action as not every game was covered in those days, but excellent contributions from John Hurst and Joe Royle, even Ronnie Goodlass. Well worth a watch.
Also, just listened to Seamus Coleman talking as well as ever on a BBC podcast.
I would strongly advise you to fast forward to the 24 minute mark in the 55 minute podcast, unless you want to sit through some really tedious stuff. href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p089tpt9">Link
[BRZ]
24 Posted 18/04/2020 at 17:49:21
This is the podcast link.
25 Posted 18/04/2020 at 21:11:43
Halfway through my 4th week of 'Confined to Barracks' I've just learned of the 'Blue Family Campaign' and I'm immensely proud to be a supporter of Everton Football Club I have long been of the opinion that there are far more important things in life than football, a view that's being reinforced now by the dreadful situation we find ourselves in.
I must add that I believe that the Premier League and its clubs are more concerned by the fact that the TV companies may reclaim fees if the season is not completed, than they are for the welfare of the players and supporters. Clubs like Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur illustrate this by their decisions to furlough their non-playing staff; they were shamed into reversing these decisions.
I acknowledge that football has always been a business, but not to the extent that it is today. There have always been clubs that are richer than others, either by better management or larger fan bases. I'm of an age that saw a smaller difference in financial affairs than the present day arrangement and, in my opinion, professional football both on and off the pitch, is not the sport I grew up watching.
26 Posted 18/04/2020 at 21:25:14
27 Posted 18/04/2020 at 22:01:02
28 Posted 18/04/2020 at 22:18:27
29 Posted 18/04/2020 at 22:18:33
30 Posted 18/04/2020 at 22:21:59
Well John I don't think anyone is in, or out of, any category, as so little is known of this virus, and they are basically 'moving the goalposts' on a daily basis as they find out more about how it manifests itself.
It seems to be indiscriminate, and everyone is basically at risk, and it still beggars belief that there is a minority who are totally oblivious or ignorant to the advice on lockdown.
Nobody wants to do it, but in the interest of minimising any potential, in contracting and/or spreading it, these rules should be obeyed for the good of everyone, no one is immune, as far as we know.
As you so rightly say too, there are far more important things than football, the game which we all love, and which has brought us all together via this wonderful website for Evertonians.
Take care, John, and everyone on TW, we will get through this together, and hopefully come out better human beings at the end of it.
31 Posted 18/04/2020 at 22:22:48
I agree completely with John (#25), there are more important things than football and this exhibits the Club's care for others from the top down.
32 Posted 18/04/2020 at 22:34:54
33 Posted 18/04/2020 at 22:35:22
34 Posted 18/04/2020 at 23:39:42
Kevin #1 and Patrick #2, it's easy to blame the media, but the fact is that Everton is flat-out awful at public relations. Richard Kenyon is a marketer and corporate communications guy with absolutely no experience or emphasis in PR, and it shows. For better or worse, our club simply doesn't care much about generating positive, recurring media exposure. Damn, what I could do there in 30 days... just give me a desk and a phone, Denise, and show me where the coffee pot is.
John #25, great to see your byline again, my friend... glad all is well.
Just a sudden additional thought -- I've been irregular here the past couple of weeks... have any TWers gotten sick?
35 Posted 19/04/2020 at 09:09:41
Also I'm not his biggest fan but I do believe Bill Kenwright should be knighted. People in media and sports are.
36 Posted 19/04/2020 at 10:58:59
37 Posted 19/04/2020 at 15:49:30
38 Posted 19/04/2020 at 16:23:39
39 Posted 19/04/2020 at 20:23:17
40 Posted 19/04/2020 at 21:29:03
I never thought that I would ever say the words "I am falling out of love with football" – not the game, but the greed that the authorities who control it have clearly demonstrated in their quest to fulfil the current season. It appears to me that the game is being taken away from the match-going supporter, and that TV coverage (and its rewards) will govern the direction it takes. The first steps were the decision to dispense with replays by introducing penalty shoot-outs, claiming that it would add to the excitement when it was plain to see that match-going fans disliked it, and probably still do.
I'm on record as saying that the only improvements I've seen in recent years are the goal-line technology and the referee's 'free kick shaving cream'. The control of the game by a referee 200 miles away has robbed the fan of his ecstatic celebration, on the pretence of 'It has to be seen to be fair'. If that was the case, then every ground at every level should be equipped with the facility to exact this 'fairness'.
Football, in my opinion, is a game played by humans and refereed by humans, and there have been more changes in the last 20 years than in the previous 100 years. I have no doubt that there will be some who have a different take on this issue. (We all have that right.)
41 Posted 19/04/2020 at 22:05:38
This desperation might work against them in the end, with fans no longer being prepared to pay astronomical ticket prices, or even stop going all together because they don't agree that football should even begin again whilst the world is suffering so much pain.
Everything is pure speculation at the minute, but who wouldn't give football up for good, if it kept their family safe? Which is obviously the most important thing for most of us right now.
42 Posted 20/04/2020 at 18:58:26
43 Posted 24/04/2020 at 10:10:34
44 Posted 24/04/2020 at 10:22:02
The stalk is intentional...
45 Posted 24/04/2020 at 11:59:09
Here in Australia, we are continuously fed the RS and other so-called top clubs propaganda but never a word about the good work of EitC.
When other clubs leap on tiny morsels of news, we do not get a mention.
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1 Posted 18/04/2020 at 09:26:13
People may scoff at “The People's Club†line, however, we are a club for the people. Unlike that lot over the park who have empty tag lines that mean nothing when it might hamper their income.