Two City of Liverpool supporters will be hiking 120 miles along Snowdonia Way at the end of May in aid of mental health charity The Lee Cooper Foundation.
Chris Davies and Adam Thornley will complete the challenge in memory of Adam’s younger brother Lee, who sadly took his own life in February 2018 at the age of 17.
The Lee Cooper Foundation was set up in Lee Thornley’s name from the unimaginable grief which led to a strong desire for change; change in the stigma around mental health and a change in the support available.
The foundation acts as a bridge between our young people and the endless waiting lists for our underfunded mental health services.
[Adam Thornley and Chris Davies who will be hiking the Snowdonia Way]
Beginning on 27th May, Chris and Adam’s fundraiser will see them trek from end to end of the National Park in aid of this fantastic organisation, promoting the idea of exploring our surroundings to improve mental health whilst talking to loved ones.
Chris explained, “We think the nature of the challenge ties in perfectly with the great work the charity does. Getting outdoors, leaving the stresses of everyday life on the backburner, and enjoying the simpler things in life like getting out in nature or talking to a friend or family member”.
Lily Spendlove, CEO and founder of The Lee Cooper Foundation, added, “The Lee Cooper Foundation is a mental health foundation run by young people for young people.”
“I created TLCF after I lost my best friend Lee to suicide, in order to bridge the gap between young people with poor mental health and the existing statutory services.”
“Since starting in 2018, we now provide a wealth of mental health provision, varying in the type of support offered, and also of different intensities.”
“We aim to provide a safe space for young people ages 11-24 and we do this through our well-being hub in Prescot.”
“Young people do not require a mental health diagnosis, or a formal referral to access our support, any young person is welcome at TLCF”.
Anyone interested in donating to Chris and Adam’s challenge can do so using the link below:
A flawless season from the City of Liverpool FC U10’s saw them come out winners of the Edge Hill Junior Football League.
Steered by Wesley Butcher, Kevin Rawcliffe and Paul Lundstram, the team have carried on where they left after going unbeaten all of the 19/20 season before Covid cut short the season.
Wesley Butcher said “Another win and another flawless performance to give us 24/24 wins with 100+ goals scored and about 13 conceded. It’s been an absolute pleasure watching these boys grow this season and they have produced week in week out.“They deserve to be labelled as the invincibles that they are and they are only going to get better, they have such a strong bond it really is great to see.”
“We are lucky enough to also have a great team of parents which I am thankful for and I also would like to thank all parents for your patience, faith and trust in what we are building, long may it continue and a big well done to the kids on an absolutely unbelievable season”
Everybody at the club would like to send there congratulations to all of the players, parents and coaches. All the team has flourished in such a supportive environment and everybody at the club hopes to see these kids go onto much bigger and better things in the future.
City Of Liverpool FC in the community are delighted to announce that our popular walking football sessions are now returning and will be hosted at our own venue, the Purple Hub!
Walking football offers you the chance to play the beautiful game, albeit at a slower pace and is one of the fastest growing activities for people in the UK and our group. which was formed in 2018, offers you the opportunity to:
Get fitter & lose weight
Enjoy a feeling of well being
Socialise and have a bit of a laugh with like minded folk
Rediscover the joys of football!
Register below for more information
The Sessions: We meet every Monday Night at 7:00PM at The Purple Hub, Longview Lane, Huyton, Liverpool, L36 7UN. Participants are encouraged to arrive by 6:45PM where we can warm up, have a friendly chat and selected evenly balanced teams ready to start promptly at 7:00PM.
We also have a midweek session on Wednesdays at 11:00AM also at the purple Hub. All of our sessions can be booked at the following link. https://www.cityofliverpoolfc.co.uk/colfc-community-booking/
Registration: Please ensure you read and sign a registration form before your first session. Footwear & Clothing: We recommend wearing astro football boots or trainers but not studs, and shin pads. We also suggest you bring water and clothing suitable for the current weather conditions.
Rules: Very similiar to 5 a side football except no running or jogging and minimum physical contact which includes no from behind or slide tackling. Full rules will be explained at your first session. Socials:
As our group expands we will be setting up social events as well as fixtures, tournaments and other football related events.
Cost: £4 Per Session
All of our sessions can be booked at the following link. https://www.cityofliverpoolfc.co.uk/colfc-community-booking/
It’s been over three months since our junior players have been playing and training together, but things are starting to slowly crank into gear once again.
Our junior and youth teams where all in action across the city over the weekend after some hastily arranged training sessions in the week prior.
“These are very hard times, especially for the children, with no school and no football” explained City of Liverpool FC in the Community Director Sean Lindblad.
“They’ve been chomping at the bit throughout lockdown and it’s great to see so many smiling faces on their return, and we just want them to enjoy running around with there mates once again. We love seeing the boys do what they do best, which is play football.”
“For them to come back and start training in an enjoyable environment is crucial for their physical and mental health.”
“As always, the safety and well-being of all participants is our upmost priority at all levels of COLFC and COLFC in the Community. We will continue to follow COVID guidelines and ask that parents and guardians follow all directives we provide, for the safety of all”.
“Parents might have seen exciting news that our first team has moved to groundshare at National League graded Vauxhall Motors’ stadium. We’re looking forward to matchdays next season and hoping as many children and their families come to experience a Purps matchday as possible.”
City of Liverpool FC and main sponsors Regenda Homes are pleased to announce a donation of four season ticket packages to four local good causes.
The ‘Purple Package’, as it will be known, comprises of a Purps season ticket, monthly COLLOTTO entry and a Pingo game line.
The four local good causes chosen by the club and Regenda Homes are:
Rotunda Inclusive Hub – The Hub is an extension of Rotunda Boxing Club which was started as a charity aiming to help local children on the autistic spectrum, with ADHD and deafness as well as assisting with mental health.
Silcox Villa JFC u13’s – Silcox Villa JFC are a local grassroots football team for children, playing in the Bootle JFL.
Damien John Kelly House – DJK House is an innovative support and accommodation scheme helping male recovering drug and alcohol addicts to rebuild their lives. Based in Wavertree, the scheme is run by Vitality Homes and currently houses 17 people.
Centre 56 – Part of The Regenda Group, the charity provides childcare, information and support for families who have suffered or who are at risk of suffering domestic abuse or a crisis situation.
Each beneficiary will also be invited to hold a bucket collection at a COLFC match as soon as it is safe to do so.
Regenda Homes has a strong relationship with City of Liverpool FC and both have shown a longstanding commitment to assisting local organisations, good causes and young people.
Last season saw a number of local charities, junior sports teams and youngsters benefit from Regenda and COLFC’s matchday experience through bucket collections and mascot duties.
The club’s partnership with our main sponsor was also evident during the recent lockdown, as we worked together to set up essential food item deliveries to elderly and vulnerable members of the community.
Food item donations were also made to good causes like Damien John Kelly House, with deliveries being facilitated from COLFC’s Food Union ‘The Purple Pantry’.
City of Liverpool FC Chairman Paul Manning said, “This is a great initiative and one which we support wholeheartedly.”
“All four organisations are doing great work within our communities that have actual social impact and hopefully, these Purple Packages can help develop that impact over the course of next season.”
Kevin Short, Housing and Neighbourhood Services Team Leader for Regenda Homes, added, “This is a fantastic idea and it will certainly help raise money for some really good causes. It’s just goes to show that working together can get you results on the pitch and off it. That’s what community spirit is all about!”
COLFC in the Community’s ‘Social Footy’ sessions have resumed at our new community base, the Purple Hub @ KGV in Huyton.
Social Footy is our community arm’s regular kickabout, aimed at promoting positive mental health, wellbeing and friendships in a slower paced, laid back game.
Ian Brocklehurst is a regular participant at Social Footy who was keen to get back to sessions, “I was made up when I heard that Social Football was starting up again.”
“Not only because lockdown had made me more sedentary than usual, but I’d missed the good natured back and forth with the lads.”
“The WhatsApp group is good, but it doesn’t replace the face to face camaraderie we have.”
COLFC Community volunteer Michael Meadows added “It’s great to see so many of our regular participants back enjoying the sessions after the forced break due to COVID”
“It’s obviously been a difficult time for everyone across the city and country as a whole, with mental health being a particular concern, so we’re pleased to be able to resume this initiative promoting wellbeing within our community.”
“We now have the added bonus of being able to utilise the fantastic new club facilities at the Purple Hub.”
“The lads have all been blown away by the standard of this venue, so we’re looking forward to fully benefitting from this in the coming months.”
Sessions will now take place at 12pm on Sunday and 7pm on Wednesday evening and participants are encouraged to join the Whatsapp group where arrangements are made.
If anyone wishes to find out more or wants to enquire about joining in, please follow @COLFCCommunity on Twitter, send a message and one of our volunteers will get back to you.
The following image gallery was taken at Social Footy on 02/08/2020 by the Purps Matchday media team.
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Further examples of our community coverage can be found on @colfccommunity and @purpsmatchday on Instagram.
For anyone looking to utilise the Purple Hub @ KGV for great rates on pitch bookings and our other facilities please visit www.purplehub.co.uk
COLFC in the Community’s #Football4Everyone and Social Football sessions were halted prior to lockdown as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. This was a decision which we didn’t take lightly, knowing what our sessions mean to so many of our participants.
Despite recent FA guidance saying that small, socially distanced sessions can now take place, we decided not to resume for an indefinite period, owing to the disproportionate mortality figures linked to BAME COVID infections.
Quite simply, we aren’t prepared to risk the health of any of our participants whilst the virus is still a very real and present threat to our communities.
Since the cessation of football activities, our efforts shifted to helping our participants with asylum issues, access to foodbanks and signposting to temporary employment opportunities at such an uncertain time.
Biniyam and Hassan
This would not have been possible without the extensive list of contacts, resources and goodwill we have been afforded across the Liverpool area over the past 4 years.
For these past four years City of Liverpool FC has led the way as a beacon of inclusion and diversity in communities across Liverpool.
The ground-breaking #Football4Everyone scheme started in 2016 and now sees up to 30 refugees and asylum seekers participate in friendly sessions in Everton Park each Sunday.
The scheme sees refugees participate on mixed teams alongside local lads, aimed at building friendships, assisting community cohesion and providing participants with points of contact for their new life in Liverpool.
Since the inception of this scheme we have seen over 300 refugees and asylum seekers participate in our sessions, all of which have been provided for free, with football clothing and boots donated to all participants who need the kit which you or I might ordinarily take for granted.
‘Running’ alongside this is the increasingly popular Social Footy initiative. This used to be Walking Footy but everyone ran so we decided a re-brand was in order!
The Social Footy offering provides the opportunity to get fit, make friends or stay active, albeit in a slower paced game.
This has been particularly well supported by friendship groups formed by match-going Purps and matchday volunteers.
We also run a Wednesday night indoor session consisting of participants from all of our schemes.
We find this is a lovely metaphor for the cohesion we have witnessed across the city, but also within our own organisation. It is also a regular reminder for the coaches to wash the bibs after Sunday’s sessions!
All of our sessions are aimed at uniting our diverse community through mutual love of the beautiful game, regardless of age, ability, ethnicity or economic circumstances.
Over the past four years we have taken great pride in seeing bonds forming between communities which may not ordinarily have met.
One of the most heart-warming moments we’ve witnessed was when one of our refugees, Khalid, scored a decisive goal in a match against Mersey Marauders.
The look of delight on his face as his tidy finish hit the back of the net was only surpassed by seeing him congratulated by high fives and hugs from his team mates, all from different walks of life and all corners of the globe.
In absence of our regular football offering, it has been a great source of pride for us to see so many of our Social Footy participants and fellow Purps volunteer to become delivery drivers within the Purple Pantry, providing weekly deliveries of essential food items to the most needy within our area.
This is yet another example of our club leading the way, taking ownership of helping others in our area.
Moving forward we won’t let up in our efforts to bring communities together through mutual love of football.
We have plans to showcase the individual stories of our participants, providing regular updates of what we get up to and strengthening the existing bond we have with all aspects of COLFC.
We’re also looking forward to benefitting from an exciting potential switch in venue in the near future.
We are grateful to the recent coverage we have had in The Morning Star, and particularly James Nalton whose articles have helped us reach more people than ever.
Thanks also to those who supported our fundraiser for essential winter clothing items for our refugee footballers – the items were gratefully received by our participants.
When we do elect to resume our sessions we’ll be keen to make up for lost time.
Until then, please bear with us. We will only resume when we are confident that it is safe for ALL participants.
Despite what the government told us at the start of Lockdown, we aren’t prepared to lose any of our loved ones!
We’d like to end this little ‘catch up’ by drawing your attention to the Memberships Purchase and Renewal Window opening for Purps membership.
Please support this initiative by renewing/becoming a member and opting for one of the packages.
We’ve been greatly supported by the Club, which helps our organisation to function and reach as many people as possible.
This great relationship has helped us to benefit the lives of the many; be it refugees and asylum seekers, Social Football participants or the recipients of Purple Pantry goods.
COLFC Community Volunteers. #UTP
The following selection of images is taken from Purps Matchday’s coverage of our recent #Football4Everyone sessions.
[Adam Thornley and Chris Davies who will be hiking the Snowdonia Way]
Wesley Butcher said “Another win and another flawless performance to give us 24/24 wins with 100+ goals scored and about 13 conceded. It’s been an absolute pleasure watching these boys grow this season and they have produced week in week out.
“They deserve to be labelled as the invincibles that they are and they are only going to get better, they have such a strong bond it really is great to see.”
