Typically a 35th birthday is a time when footballers have to consider hanging up their boots. But for Everton in the Community it’s a milestone that embodies both a celebration of past achievements while also providing a launch pad to a bigger and brighter future.
Back in 1988, a converted house in the shadow of Goodison Park became the operational centre of ‘The Community Programme’, a government-sponsored scheme to foster closer links between football and the local community.
It was headed up by Duncan McKenzie, with the support of fellow former Everton player Alan Whittle and a team of part-time activity organisers who started delivering sessions in local schools before expanding their outreach to include disabled participants and the under-privileged.
READ MORE: Full Everton squad for Premier League confirmed as key player taken off list
READ MORE: Sean Dyche has asked 'honest' question of Everton players as Frank Lampard talks claim made
Today, that very same scheme is known as Everton in the Community – and equipped with over 120 members of staff who deliver over 50 programmes at various venues across Merseyside – is a beacon of support to thousands of people across region who heavily rely on the charity’s services.
Sue Gregory has been with Everton in the Community for the past 11 years and has held the post of chief executive officer since last summer and is understandably proud of both its scale and impact when it comes to helping local residents’ lives.
She told the ECHO: “We had an independent company called RealWorth come in so it’s a real matrix that is audited and used by a lot of charities and the government to look at your whole environment. It measures all the people that we support and whether we’re making a difference in their life in terms of improving their mental health, their education and employability and it’s been calculated that for every pound that is invested into Everton in the Community whether that’s fundraising or grants, you get £29:86 back in social investment.
“Following the pandemic, we launched our Blue Family initiative which was helping to provide families with food and electricity – the basic needs for somebody’s life – and we can’t stop because if you see a need you’ve got to act. Because the need was still escalating, we opened our Blue Base Pantry in June last year and so far eight thousand people have come through it and for those two schemes we found that for every pound invested, there was £128 worth of social value, which is enormous.
“It shows that we were right there when families most-needed support and making that difference. We were keeping kids in education and keeping families fed and warm which enabled them to keep employment and improve their lives.
“I wouldn’t take credit to say we’ve changed someone’s life but we’ve provided the projects, the brilliant staff and the opportunity to empower people to change their own lives. We’ve got so many initiatives that a whole family can zigzag in and out of our programmes that include education, sports and health, targeted support around individuals and mental health plus pathways, getting employers involved.”
The first team are scheduled to move into their new 52,888 capacity stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in the 2024/25 season but having been based at Goodison Park since 1892, the club are determined to maintain their strong presence in the area while branching out to neighbourhoods in close proximity to their future home by the banks of the Mersey. Sue said: “We’ve made a big indent in education with projects from the cradle to the end of life but our biggest impact will probably be the People’s Hub that we’re about to open for mental health and well-being. Given the pandemic and now the cost of living crisis, mental health and well-being issues have become more prevalent and we’re really proud to be opening that on March 7.
“We’ve just launched a digital skills lab in the People’s Hub, responding to digital poverty and the impact that’s going on in people’s lives and the widening gap in education inequality which we’re looking to close. It was estimated by 2025, it was estimated 140,000 jobs that young people wouldn’t be able to fill because of what they’re learning in school versus how fast technology is moving.
“We’re going to expand our delivery even further across the Liverpool City Region and we’re working on the community around our new stadium in L3 and also the impact of our Goodison Park legacy. I think it was a major priority that there was not an abandonment, Everton in the Community are anchored in L4, that’s our home and we’re not moving, we’re only going to get bigger.
“Although we deliver across the region, we’ve got really good capital in L4 with a whole campus, the Blue Base and the People’s Place which will help us expand into the Goodison legacy and gives us the perfect blueprint to take forwards to L3, bordering on South Sefton as well.”
READ NEXT
Sean Dyche gave Everton players 'complete anonymity' in search for answers
Sean Dyche shares quadruple Everton injury update and 'key' to Dominic Calvert-Lewin fitness
Sean Dyche speaks out on Everton anger with request to 'disgruntled' fans
Amadou Onana breaks silence on Everton transfer speculation with nine-word message
