While Red Neighbours has supported local families throughout all school holidays for the past four years, this summer's holiday provision has been enhanced thanks to a generous donation from official club partner NH Foods Ltd.
In place of Red Neighbours' breakfast clubs, which usually take place at Anfield during each school holiday, the team will provide 1,160 breakfast packs and essential food boxes to local families – totalling enough food for 4,640 people. The items will be distributed via Red Neighbours' local school network in Anfield and Kirkby, with each school receiving 20 boxes.
LFC Foundation will also provide 60 meals every day during the six-week holiday for young people attending their programmes in Liverpool. This support – for more than 500 youngsters – has been possible thanks to funding received from the Holiday Activity and Food Programme (HAF) grant.
In addition to this, 200 food parcels, each containing enough food to feed a family of four for seven days, will be delivered to local families in Kirkby, thanks to funding received from Knowsley Council.
Nine-hundred lunches will also be prepared for young people at the Netherton Activity Centre, as part of Sefton Council's 'Fit and Fed' programme, and a further 720 afternoon tea boxes will be provided to the elderly community in Speke through funding from the Steve Morgan Foundation.
Forbes Duff, senior manager, Red Neighbours, said: "We know that many families find the holidays financially challenging and during these unprecedented times it's tougher than ever. We want to help alleviate some of those worries by providing local families with food support so that they can focus on having a fun summer together.
"Alongside the club and LFC Foundation, we continue to work together with our partners across the city such as St Andrew's Community Network – home of North Liverpool Foodbank and the Trussell Trust – to continue to tackle the growing issue of food poverty which affects so many families."
Red Neighbours and LFC Foundation have been working together since the outbreak of COVID-19 to support their local communities during these unprecedented and difficult times.
As part of the club's continuing COVID Community Response work, more than 81,200 free meals, freshly prepared by chefs at Anfield, have been donated to the local community to date.