Liverpool Homeless Football Club are hoping to raise £1,000 to give up to 50 homeless people in the city a Christmas meal this festive period.
An event will be held on December 11th at The Florrie on Mill Street but the success of the night will depend almost entirely on the generosity of the public.
John Finnigan, Chairman of LHFC, told JMU Journalism: “It’s Christmas. Anyone with a conscience should want to help people who have got nothing. Maybe they’re sleeping on the streets, or in hostels, sofa surfing, they might even be refugees.”
“Even if it’s just a couple of quid, it can all help. People are very supportive with the retweets and sharing but it’s been a bit difficult financially.”
“Without getting into the politics because were not a political organisation, the stats are not true representation of homelessness in the city. I think homelessness is increasing with government policies but we cant be political, we have to stay impartial.”
Founded in 2007, the club works in partnership with Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Charity and Voluntary Services, Liverpool County FA and The Power League. It aims to tackle homelessness across Merseyside through the power of football.
“The Council do their bit, with funding for The Whitechapel Centre and they have gave us bits of funding in the past but we could try opening up empty buildings like they do in Manchester for homeless people in winter,” Finnigan said.
LHFC has a men’s eleven-a-side team and a women’s team and was primarily formed to provide a network of homeless organisations that operate across the region.
The club has also been used in projects by Liverpool John Moores University in the past, including research into physical fitness from a social science perspective and LHFC’s impact upon well-being and healthy living.
With homeless and isolated people still apparent in the city, Finnigan said he has just one simple wish this Christmas, saying: “We would really love to reach our target and give everyone a goodie bag. We just a want to give people a good night and a good memory. We just want to let them know that someone out there does care, and they are not alone.”