Reds help future-proof community causes
Liverpool Football Club has launched a new levy initiative and is helping two local Anfield organisations to train their staff and plan for the future.
The Reds will donate nearly £50,000 of their Apprenticeship Levy to fund training programmes for staff and volunteers at Homebaked bakery and Anfield Sports and Community Centre.
The initial donation, which is 14 per cent of the club’s available levy transfer funds, will fund six employees to enrol in training programmes across a number of different areas from advanced bakery to digital marketing and sports coaching.
The Apprenticeship Levy is paid by employers who have a salary bill of over £3m per year. The money is held by the government and businesses can apply for funding to pay for apprenticeships. Up to 25 per cent of a business’ unused levy can be transferred to other businesses.
Lynne Stockton-Howard, SVP HR at Liverpool Football Club, said: “The ability to transfer some of our Apprenticeship Levy is enabling us to help some local organisations we already work closely with to train their workers through apprenticeship schemes and continue the great work they are doing.
“Many organisations only use around 14 per cent of the funding pot they pay into and so transferring some of it is a great way to help local organisations in our area that may not usually have the funds available to offer this sort of training.
“We’re now looking to support more small businesses or charities who could take advantage of this scheme and would welcome enquiries from organisations in the Merseyside area who believe we may be able to help”
The skills brokerage service delivered by Growth Platform on behalf of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has helped the club to successfully navigate the levy transfer process by identifying the needs of the recipients, understanding where gaps in their skills are and then sourcing the best training to meet their needs.
Homebaked on Oakfield Road, opposite Anfield’s Kop, is a co-operative cafe and bakery established in 2010. One of the founding members of Homebaked, Angela McKay, said: “As a community business we’re not financially able to pay for recognised qualifications for staff. The levy means so much to Homebaked bakery as it enables us to actually offer training opportunities for our team.
“Most of our staff are from the local area and have joined Homebaked by volunteering. This training opportunity is a gateway for our staff to feel confident and broaden their education and job opportunities for the future.”
Adam Clarke Jones, from Anfield Sports and Community Centre, said they will focus on upskilling in operations to support the centre’s future. He commented: “As a community organisation based in Anfield with a small work force in a large facility, the levy will enable us to strengthen the operations within the centre.
“The levy will allow us to put staff on courses and training, which we would not necessarily be able to fully fund as a business. This opportunity will help gain further knowledge and skills in the overall operations of the centre to ensure the sustainability and support within the centre.”
Liverpool Football Club are committed to continuing to support the local community with this levy initiative. If you would like to know more about how the club can help, then please contact LevyInitiative@liverpoolfc.com.