With seven goals in his first season at Goodison Park, Dwight McNeil finished Everton’s top scorer but along with Courtney Brosnan the Blues pair have been recognised for their charitable efforts off the pitch after being named the club’s PFA Community Champions for 2022/23.
Since joining the Blues last July, McNeil has embraced the club’s community values and played an active role with Everton in the Community (EitC), engaging with participants on both a professional and personal basis. The 22/23 Men’s Young Player of the Season spent time with the charity’s Premier League Primary Stars programme, working with school children to improve their essential skills, and visited a Premier League Inspires programme at a local secondary school where he got stuck into a literacy and writing session with Year 10 students.
In December, Dwight and his partner Meg approached the club as they wanted to give back to the local community during the festive season. Thanks to their generosity, EitC was able to host two days of Christmas grottos at the Blue Base, providing a hot meal, craft activities, a visit to Blue Santa and a present for disadvantaged children living in one of the most socially deprived wards in the UK.
READ NEXT: Everton should adopt Neville Southall transfer strategy with Man United over Jordan Pickford
READ NEXT: James Tarkowski issues stark warning to Everton ahead of new Premier League season
On top of funding the charity’s Christmas grottos, they also spent the afternoon at the session helping staff and Blue Santa, interacting with the children in attendance. The pair also donated to EitC’s Blue Base Pantry to ensure that its 165 members each received some special festive food items.
McNeil said: “It’s a massive honour to win this award. To be able to help the local community and spend time with residents, especially around Christmas, was so important to me and Meg.
“We wanted to give something back and hopefully put a few smiles on people’s faces, particularly after such a difficult year financially with the cost-of-living crisis. The work the charity does for the local area is second to none, and I strive to support that wherever I can.”
Since arriving at the club in 2021, Everton Women goalkeeper Brosnan has always been keen to find out more about EitC’s community projects and the impact they have across the region.
Brosnan helped EitC mark its 35th anniversary this year by visiting the charity’s ‘Sit and Knit’ group – a social session for residents in Liverpool 4 to connect, socialise and make new friends through the art of knitting. She met regular attendees of the group and even tried her hand at knitting, as well as other activities, during the session.
She has also been involved in wider activity across the community; visiting the NSPCC centre where she spent two hours learning about a programme for victims of domestic abuse and joining other members of the squad in donating to a local foodbank during the Christmas period. Brosnan also presented awards to participants at the EitC’s inaugural Breakthrough Awards last month, where she received the coveted PFA Community Champions trophy for the second year in a row.
Brosnan said: “I’m so privileged to receive this award again.
“I’m in a position to be able to contribute to the charity’s work and make positive changes. Meeting members of the local community and engaging with participants from all walks of life has been both eye-opening and inspiring, and I look forward to continuing to support EitC next season.”
Everton in Community CEO, Sue Gregory added: “Dwight and Courtney’s contributions to the charity stems way beyond supporting our programmes, they’ve engaged with participants and staff on both a professional and personal basis and gone above and beyond to contribute wherever possible
“On behalf of Everton in the Community, I’d like to thank them both, as well as their fellow teammates and management staff for their support off the pitch. We look forward to working with them all again this upcoming season.”
READ MORE
