The club has overseen the donation of matchday food to help Fans Supporting Foodbanks support the region's most vulnerable
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A view of Goodison Park on the morning of the postponed Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC. Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
A view of Goodison Park on the morning of the postponed Premier League match between Everton FC and Liverpool FC. Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Everton have donated the food that was set to be served at Goodison Park during the Merseyside derby to Fan Supporting Foodbanks.
The club, through Everton in the Community and suppliers Sodexo, made the gesture after the match was called off on Saturday morning. It means huge quantities of food - including sausage rolls and pies - will now be distributed to some of the region’s most vulnerable.
The generous move came as severe winds brought by the arrival to Merseyside of Storm Darragh led to the call for the match to be postponed due to safety concerns.
READ MORE: Man United statement made as Storm Darragh leads to Everton vs Liverpool postponementREAD MORE: How Everton and Liverpool came to postponement decision after early morning talks at Goodison Park
Everton, Liverpool FC and officials from agencies including Merseyside Police and Liverpool Council were among those who met at Goodison Park on Saturday to discuss what to do.
Following the decision, Everton and the club’s partners donated the food that was set to go to waste to Fans Supporting Foodbanks, which holds foodbank collections at Goodison and Anfield and which had been hoping for the derby to provide a bumper day of generosity that could help some of the region’s most vulnerable.
Dave Kelly, from the charity, welcomed the donation and heaped praise on Everton and the club’s partners for moving so quickly to help those in need.
He said: “Forget about winners and losers on the pitch, the winners here are the local community. This is a brilliant gesture by Everton and fair play to the club for the generosity and speed in which they have acted.”
The charity had hoped for a bumper day of collections and Everton’s support has helped ensure they can still provide help even without the game going ahead. Dave, who is working with volunteers through the afternoon to start distributing the food, said the charity had been inundated with messages asking how their work can be supported in the absence of the collection at Goodison. One anonymous contributor even donated £500 shortly after the postponement was announced.
Dave said: “The support has been incredible and will help us continue to help those in need, we will be out in force this afternoon - and the donations will help in many ways, for instance everyone who attends our homeless breakfast in Birkenhead in the morning will also be able to take extra food home.”
*You can donate to Fans Supporting Foodbanks, here