Fans Supporting Foodbanks facts for kids
| Founded | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ian Byrne Dave Kelly Robbie Daniels |
| Purpose | Helping people in need by providing food and reducing hunger |
| Origins | Liverpool, England |
| Method | Food banks |
Fans Supporting Foodbanks is a special group started in 2015. It brings together fans from two rival football teams, Liverpool F.C. and Everton F.C.. Their main goal is to help people in Liverpool who don't have enough food. This group provides a lot of the food donations for food banks in north Liverpool. They have also helped other football fan groups across the UK start their own food banks. It's a great example of how football fans can work together to make a positive change.
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How It Started
Fans Supporting Foodbanks began in 2015. It's a partnership between the Everton Supporters' Trust and the Spirit of Shankly (a Liverpool supporters' union). It was started by Liverpool fan Ian Byrne and Everton fans Dave Kelly and Robbie Daniels. They saw that more people in the UK were struggling to afford food. This was due to government changes that made it harder for some families.
The group got their idea from Celtic F.C. fans called The Green Brigade. Fans Supporting Foodbanks started collecting food donations in big bins. They placed these bins outside pubs on match days. Both Liverpool and Everton football clubs have strongly supported this effort.
Besides collecting food at home games, Fans Supporting Foodbanks also take food to donate to rival fans' food banks when their teams play away games. This shows great teamwork and support. Their motto is: "Hunger doesn't wear club colours." This means that helping people is more important than which football team you support.
In 2018, the CEO of Liverpool Football Club, Peter Moore, donated a special vehicle. This purple van (a mix of both clubs’ colours) is used to carry food donations. You can often see it outside Anfield and Goodison Park on match days. In August of that year, a mural was created near Anfield Stadium. It shows Liverpool F.C.'s Trent Alexander-Arnold and is dedicated to Fans Supporting Foodbanks.
Before the 2019 General Election, co-founder Ian Byrne became a candidate for the Labour party. On December 12, 2019, he was elected as a Member of Parliament for Liverpool West Derby. In November 2020, Fans Supporting Foodbanks also started a mobile community food pantry. This helps them reach even more people in need.
What They Do
Bringing Communities Together
Fans Supporting Foodbanks believe their work helps bring people together. They partner with different religious and ethnic groups. They organize joint food collections and events. This helps to break down barriers between different communities. For example, in 2018, they invited football fans to watch World Cup games at the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque. This helped people from different backgrounds connect.
Campaign for the Right to Food
In 2020, Ian Byrne and Fans Supporting Foodbanks started an important campaign. They want the Right to Food to become a law in the UK. This would mean everyone has a legal right to access enough food. In January 2021, Liverpool City Council voted to support this idea. This made Liverpool the first 'Right to Food' city in the UK.
Awards and Recognition
Fans Supporting Foodbanks have received several awards for their amazing work:
- In 2018, they won the Bill Shankly Community Award. This was part of the Liverpool Player of the Season Awards.
- In November 2018, they received the Alan Ball "Ball of Fire" Award.
- In January 2020, they were named one of The Big Issue's Top 100 Changemakers for 2020. This award recognizes people who are making a big difference in the world.
