Steve Morgan Foundation commits to transparent giving

At the Steve Morgan Foundation, we believe in ‘giving money away well’ by building partnerships and supporting charities doing excellent work. We also believe in openness and honesty about the grants that we award and improving grant making across the UK. This is why we publish open grants data through 360Giving and have become an IVAR Flexible Funder.

360Giving

The aim of 360Giving is for more money to go to where it is needed most to support communities and good causes through a more informed understanding of the grant making picture. The Steve Morgan Foundation shares this view and so we have joined the UK’s leading funders in making our grants data open through the 360Giving Data Standard, helping to map and improve grant making across the UK.

The 360Giving Data Standard helps UK funders to publish their grants data in an open, standardised way so that people can better understand and use the data to improve charitable giving. Through 360Giving, we are able to share information on who, where and what we fund in a way that others can access for free. You can view all of our awarded grants since April 2020 here.

Since it was founded in 2015, more than 250 funders have published over 850,000 grants and more than 40,000 people a year access and use the data.

IVAR Flexible Funder

The Steve Morgan Foundation works hard to adopt the principles of open and trusting grant making, as set out by IVAR and London Funders. They are calling on funders to adopt simpler, more flexible practices that make life easier for those they fund.

We are one of over 100 funders who have signed up to the eight commitments and joined a community with other funders and charities to improve practice together. The eight commitments are:

Don’t waste time – funders will be open, transparent and clear about all of their priorities, requirements and exclusions.
Ask relevant questions – funders will test their application forms to ensure clarity, relevance and avoid repetition, only collecting information that genuinely informs a funding decision.
Accept risk – funders will clearly explain how risk is assessed and be realistic about how much assurance applicants can provide.
Act with urgency – funders will aim to make decisions as quickly as possible by publishing and sticking to timeframes to ensure they work at a pace that meets the needs of applicants.
Be open – funders will provide feedback, including reasons for rejections. They will analyse and share relevant data, including publishing success rates.
Enable flexibility – funders will aim to give unrestricted funding; where they can’t (or are a specialist funder), they will ensure their funding is as flexible as possible.
Communicate with purpose – a funders contact is positive and purposeful. They will be realistic about their time commitments.
Be proportionate – funders will ensure that their formal reporting requirements are well understood, proportionate and meaningful.

You can see who else has signed up and read more about these eight commitments on IVAR’s website: www.ivar.org.uk/flexible-funders.

We hope that our commitment to transparent giving will encourage more grant makers to adopt these standards and practices to improve the overall practice of grant-making across the UK.

Please click here for more information about our grants and types of funding.

Together Type 1: celebrating one year of the SMF-funded programme

The pioneering programme for young people with type 1 diabetes, funded by The Steve Morgan Foundation, marked its first anniversary with a celebration event and a new name. Our Lives, Our Choices, Our Voices is now called Together Type 1.

The Together Type 1 programme launched in September 2022 in partnership with Diabetes UK with £5 million donated by the Steve Morgan Foundation – one of our largest single grants awarded. The purpose is to bring young people with type 1 diabetes together through the delivery of a UK-wide peer support programme as they transition to adulthood.

Run by Diabetes UK, the initiative is an ambitious youth-led programme on a mission to tackle feelings of isolation and loneliness in children and young people aged 11 to 25 living with type 1 diabetes. It will give young people the confidence to manage their diabetes and relationships with healthcare professionals in the way that works best for them. It also creates a community where injecting insulin, counting carbs, and juggling the ups and downs of diabetes is the norm. And where young people can connect with others who know what living with the condition is really like, swap stories, and learn new skills along the way.

The new name ‘Together Type 1’ better reflects the purpose of the initiative – to emphasise collectiveness specifically for people with the type 1 condition (and is a little less of a mouthful to say!)

Celebrating with our Young Leaders

On 30 September a celebration event was held in Manchester with the programme’s Young Leaders to reflect on progress and successes and plans for the next few years. This national gathering saw the official launch of the new Together Type 1 brand, hosted practical workshops for our Young Leaders covering social media content creation, campaigning and coaching, as well as provided opportunities to connect and make new friends.

Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation, attended the event:

“The first national gathering for Together Type 1 was an inspirational day – hearing directly from young leaders and youth workers about the impact of the programme has fully reaffirmed the Steve Morgan Foundation commitment to supporting young people and young adults with type 1 diabetes. We are very much looking forward to seeing how the programme grows and develops to support more and more young people in the coming years”.

Cradle to Career launches across Liverpool City Region

The pioneering place-based change programme, initiated and funded by the Steve Morgan Foundation is set to expand, with Mayor Steve Rotheram granting an additional £5.25m to tackle inequalities faced by families in the Liverpool City Region.

The expansion of the Cradle to Career programme was announced at a prestigious event at the House of Lords on Tuesday, September 19, where Steve Morgan addressed the guests and highlighted the impact the programme has had to date. This was followed by two events in the Liverpool City Region attended by the Mayor, Steve Rotheram on Thursday, September 28.

Cradle to Career was launched by the Steve Morgan Foundation in North Birkenhead in 2021 in partnership with Wirral Council and working alongside SHINE, an education charity and grant giver, and lead delivery partner Right to Succeed, a charity specialising in place-based change approaches. Funding provided by the Foundation to date totals £4.9 million, which includes a grant of £2.5 million to support the regional expansion.

**Liverpool City Region Mayor, Steve Rotheram speaking at one of the events**

Delivered by Right to Succeed, Cradle to Career puts the people of the Liverpool City Region at the heart of education, services and decision-making. Following discovery phases in Halton and Knowsley, bespoke programmes are being developed for communities in Halton Lea and Northwood. These will focus on supporting vulnerable learners; reducing the number of post-16 school leavers not in education, employment or training; developing robust facilities and activities for all; and creating a family support hub to support social, emotional and mental wellbeing in the community.

Further discovery phases are currently underway in Sefton and St Helens, with a vision to continue expansion across all six boroughs of the Liverpool City Region.

Commenting on the expansion of Cradle to Career, Steve Morgan CBE, said:

“We are incredibly excited to be taking this powerful partnership across the breadth of the Liverpool City Region.

“Good philanthropy and great partnerships are about bringing everyone together to deliver long-lasting and effective change, and Cradle to Career is a true exemplar of this; empowering communities, philanthropy and the public sector to work towards a shared vision to improve the lives of young people and their families.

“The Steve Morgan Foundation is involved in hundreds of initiatives not only in Merseyside but across the country but the impact of Cradle to Career is one of our most successful interventions and its achievements cannot be underestimated.

“In just two years, through Cradle to Career, the reading age for more than 1,600 children has improved exponentially; the number of young people at risk of being taken into care has significantly reduced, and Ofsted and the CQC are using the Cradle to Career programme as an example of best practice for family support.

“It is my hope that other cities and other regions in the UK will consider following suit by doing things differently and putting communities in control of their destinies.”

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region, said:

“It is a gross injustice that children’s whole lives are mapped out before they ever leave the maternity unit; a postcode lottery dictating their bank balance, the food they can afford, the diseases they’re likely to develop, the quality of the air they will breathe and how long they will live.

“Addressing that imbalance is central to my politics. Cradle to Career is a radical, bespoke approach that works with the communities to identify local issues – and empowers them to come up with the solutions.

“Its results in North Birkenhead have been so impressive that we are investing more than £5m to roll it out across the rest of the region. Too many kids in our region have been held back, not by a lack of talent but a lack of opportunity – but I’m working to put that right.”

CEO of Right to Succeed, Graeme Duncan added:

“We are delighted that the Combined Authority has decided to fund the roll out of collective impact programmes across the Liverpool City Region, helping to realise our vision that every child can thrive from Cradle to Career.

“Our experience working in North Birkenhead on the Cradle to Career programme over the last three years has shown that by putting the decision-making power in the hands of the community and bringing people together around shared aims, you can accelerate the pace of change for children and young people.

“By rolling this out across the region, the Combined Authority is taking the lead, investing in a new approach that will see sustained change and improved outcomes for more children and young people.”

Visit the website for Cradle to Career North Birkenhead.

**Photo shows (LtoR) Rekha Patel-Harrison (Right to Succeed), Graeme Duncan (CEO, Right to Succeed), Jane Harris (Steve Morgan Foundation), Steve Rotheram (Liverpool City Region Mayor)**

Funding for charities: Am I eligible for an SMF grant?

At the Steve Morgan Foundation, our overarching mission is to deliver modern day philanthropy at its best. We are passionately committed to changing lives for good by working with like-minded people and organisations that are making a positive difference to those in need. We have awarded over 2,500 grants since 2001 – and counting!

But how do you know if your charity is eligible for funding from the Steve Morgan Foundation? Below, we explain the typical eligibility criteria we look for when providing funding for charities.

Who do we fund?

The Steve Morgan Foundation has helped to improve the quality of life for more than four million people, through harnessing the power of working together.

Our trustees support registered charities, CICs and not for profit organisations working exclusively in our remit area; specifically, those which are helping to improve life chances for children and families as well as the elderly, disabled and socially isolated, or which expand opportunities and life choices for young people.

Funding for charities – our options

Regional grants – Multi-year grants for core funding, salaries and ongoing running costs for projects.
Enable grants – For organisations and individuals needing disability equipment or transport resources. This is the only programme that funds individuals.
Social investment loans – For eligible property purchases.

Regional grants typically cover periods of up to three years. A minimum gap of one year is required between funding awards. To find out more about the different types of funding for charities that we provide, please click here.

Where do we fund?

Born in Liverpool, Steve Morgan CBE – our Founder and Chairman of Trustees – is passionate about bringing positive change to the communities closest to his heart through the Foundation. Our regional grants and Enable grants are therefore provided to projects, organisations and individuals based across Merseyside, North Wales, Cheshire west of the M6 and North Shropshire.

Through these grants, we deliver practical support and multi-year funding to bring positive change across the region. You can read some of our recent regional case studies here to see this work in action.

Please note that local branches of national charities which are based within the remit area, or programmes delivered locally by organisations working on a national basis, are not generally supported. However, our Strategic Partnership Funding programme, available by invitation only, may include organisations with a national profile. Examples of this are our work with Maggie’s and Diabetes UK.

How much do we fund?

For Regional grants, we consider no more than the equivalent of 25% of annual turnover for each year of an award.

Enable applications are means tested and applicants may be asked to make a contribution to the overall cost of the equipment. Please get in touch with our friendly team if you have any concerns or queries about your application or our funding criteria.

When providing funding for charities, the Foundation always welcomes proposals to match fund with other grant-givers.

How can you apply?

Firstly, please use our eligibility checker to ensure you meet all the relevant criteria. If you are eligible to apply for a grant, you will then be directed to the relevant online application form, where you can fill in your details and be put through to our team.

If for some reason you are unable to access the eligibility checker online, please contact the team directly for help on 01928 706 555 or email us at hello@stevemorganfoundation.org.uk.

How long will your application take to process?

Applications must be accompanied by up-to-date published accounts and details of the organisation’s reserves policy. Having these prepared and ready can help speed up the process. Some applications may need to be considered over two trustee meetings, which are held bi-monthly, but we always aim to make the process as quick as possible.

As part of the assessment process, a member of the Grants Team and a Trustee will come and visit you at your organisation to see the work you are doing in action.

“The Foundation might be able to help in ways you have not thought about…”

If you’d like to learn more about others’ experiences of applying for funding through the Steve Morgan Foundation, please check out our webpage on GrantAdvisor UK, a website that allows grant-seekers to share their first-hand experiences working with funders.

Steve Morgan Foundation invests in education opportunities for young people

The Steve Morgan Foundation, LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community, and the University of Liverpool have formed a unique, collaborative partnership to provide investment for five years to IntoUniversity, a new education facility based in Kirkby, Knowsley, that aims to deliver educational support and development opportunities for seven to 18 year olds in the region.

IntoUniversity is a national social mobility charity which runs 39 local learning centres across England and Scotland. Working with a number of primary and secondary school pupils through partnerships with schools in the area, the charity provides a safe space for young people to learn, explore and succeed in a welcoming and supportive home from home environment.

Due to open in October 2023 in Kirkby town centre, the new IntoUniversity facility will offer after-school academic support to young people in the area, as well as a variety of other workshops, university visits, mentoring opportunities and aspiration-raising activities – all designed to give them the skills, confidence and information to make informed choices about their future and ultimately reach their full potential.

Commenting on the partnership, Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation said: “We are delighted to be collaborating once again with like-minded organisations to support the delivery of additional educational and development opportunities for our young people. We are excited to see the positive difference this ground-breaking partnership could have and hope that it will encourage other communities across the country to form similar collaborations.”

Councillor Margaret Harvey, Knowsley Council’s Children’s Services Cabinet Member, said: “I’m delighted to welcome IntoUniversity to Knowsley and look forward to expanding the educational offer for children and young people in our Borough. We know that IntoUniversity has successfully run a centre in Anfield over the last five years, which has delivered a range of benefits through their engagement with children and families in that area.

Dr Rachel Carr, CEO and Founder of IntoUniversity, commented: “We’re very excited to be expanding our work in Merseyside through this new centre in Kirkby. We look forward to working with local schools and the wider community, and most importantly to welcoming some of the amazing young people in the area through the doors of our centre very soon. Kirkby is brimming with potential, and we hope our centre can become an important feature within the local community, helping young people with the skills and support they need to realise that potential.”

Gavin Brown, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education at the University of Liverpool said: “We invest more than £10m each year in financial support for students from under-represented groups to be able to study with us and in outreach activities with local schools and colleges. With the opening of the new learning centre in Kirkby, the University is delivering on its promise to further support and encourage young people across Merseyside to access life-changing educational opportunities.

“Following on from the success of the IntoUniversity North Liverpool centre in Anfield since it opened in 2017, the University is delighted to again be working with Future Goals partners, the LFC Foundation, Everton in the Community and the Steve Morgan Foundation, to help many more young people across the region make the most of their talents and abilities.”

Matt Parish, CEO of Liverpool FC Foundation said: “Our partnership with the University of Liverpool and IntoUniversity for the last five years has supported 3,000 young people from across Liverpool at the North Liverpool Centre in Anfield. We’re proud that 61% of students who attend IntoUniversity progress into further education, opening up opportunities that previously might have seemed unachievable.

“We are really excited to continue to be part of this journey which now includes Everton In The Community and the Steve Morgan Foundation. With their support and the opening of a second centre in Kirkby, the partnership will be able to provide further opportunities for even more young people.”

Sue Gregory, CEO of Everton in the Community, said: “We are looking forward to opening the doors of this important and much-needed facility in Kirkby and playing our part in helping to provide lifelong learning opportunities to young people in Merseyside and increase our collective impact on the education inequality gap.”

Find out more about IntoUniversity here and for more information about our other partners, please click here.

Steve Morgan Foundation and LFC Foundation shortlisted for international award

One of the most prestigious awards in the sporting industry has recognised the work of LFC Foundation and Steve Morgan Foundation.

The Leaders Sports Awards acknowledge industry success and achievements on a global scale with global brands highlighting their work in breaking down barriers and bringing communities together.

Steve Morgan Foundation and LFC Foundation have been shortlisted for our work within five community hubs across the Liverpool City Region.

Matt Parish, LFC Foundation Chief Executive Officer said,

“Working with a partner like Steve Morgan Foundation has been unbelievable.”

“When we started this journey just over two years ago our goal was to identify and help community centres in need and support them and the people who used those spaces.”

“With the help of Steve and his team, I’m delighted with what we’ve achieved. We’ve grown our number of people supported year on year and to provide life changing opportunities to more young people and adults.”

Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation added

“We are delighted that our partnership with LFC Foundation has been shortlisted for this prestigious award.”

“We are proud of the place-based impact made by the five community hubs and we look forward to working closely with the team at LFC Foundation to extend their reach across the Liverpool City Region.”

“As a leading charitable foundation, we firmly believe that it is through long-term partnerships such as this that we can make the greatest impact and difference to those in need.”

The future now looks bright for our community hubs in Toxteth, Birkenhead, Bootle, Kirkby and Anfield with those centres being given a brand-new lease of life. They are now multi-purpose spaces, with people of all ages coming together for sport, play, to gain employability skills and training or a place to a community to gather.

Looking ahead, we will use this model to grow and expand our network of community hubs, and to reach and support more people.

Find out more about our partnership with the LFC Foundation.

View the Leaders Sports Awards Shortlist here.

Steve Morgan sixth on the Sunday Times Giving List 2023

Steve Morgan (CBE) – our Founder and Chairman of Trustees – has been named as number 6 in the Sunday Times Giving List 2023.

Sunday Times Giving List 2023

The Sunday Times Giving List, in association with the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF), tracks the philanthropic activity of almost a third of 350 of Britain’s wealthiest people. It is based on the proportion of total wealth donated or pledged to charity by those who appear in the Sunday Times Rich List.

Steve Morgan CBE was named number six out of the top 100 this year, having donated an incredible £59.6 million, via the Steve Morgan Foundation.

Collectively, the top 100 gave £3.431 billion – up by more than a billion on last year’s total giving. Seven members of The Sunday Times Rich List gave more than £100 million in the past year, 42 gave £10 million or more, while 90 were members of the £1 million donors club.

Giving money away well

At the age of 21, Steve established Redrow, which grew to be one of the UK’s most successful housebuilders. But despite his obvious success in business, Steve has never forgotten his roots on some of the toughest streets in Liverpool.

It was this desire to give something back that prompted him to set up the Steve Morgan Foundation in 2001 to help bring positive change to the communities closest to his heart and beyond.

He explains: “I am enormously proud to be on the Sunday Times Giving List, not just personally but also on behalf of the team at the Steve Morgan Foundation, who work exceptionally hard not just to give money away, but to give money away well.

“We’re supporting so many great charities to help change the lives of those in greatest need, and we’re committed to working with fantastic partners that share our vision of changing lives for good. I’m proud of and thankful to our staff and trustee team for all their dedicated work.”

The Steve Morgan Foundation

The Steve Morgan Foundation is passionately committed to changing lives for good by working with partners that make a positive difference to those in need. We provide funding, support, expertise and best practice to the charities and organisations we support.

By harnessing the power of working together, we address a range of areas including poverty, homelessness, health and wellbeing, and education and training, and have helped to improve the quality of life for more than four million people.

Steve continues to prioritise the ongoing support of the Foundation alongside his business interests and has donated over £300 million to it since 2001.

You can read some of the stories from individuals and communities who have benefited from support from the Steve Morgan Foundation here.

The Steve Morgan Foundation launches new website and refreshed brand

The Steve Morgan Foundation has launched a new website and refreshed brand to reflect the Foundation’s ongoing philanthropic impact.

The Foundation was launched in 2001 by Steve Morgan CBE, in a desire to give something back to the communities and causes closest to his heart. Since 2001, Steve has donated more than £3 million to the Foundation, benefitting more than four million individuals.

The new website has been designed with the external user in mind, easy to use with a wealth of information about the philanthropic work of the Foundation, its team and trustees, and how charities can apply for funding. The brand refresh, which includes a modified logo and colour scheme, will help to correctly position the Steve Morgan Foundation as a leading UK charitable foundation, delivering best-in-class philanthropy through practice, partnerships and impact.

At the heart of the Foundation’s work is our strategic partnerships with both large national, and local organisations where we can work together to make the greatest impact and long-term difference to those in need. We work alongside our strategic partners to achieve our joint ambitions and goals; we share our expertise, knowledge and best practice, in addition to funding to ensure that our joint impact can be maximised. You can read more about these partnerships and all of our other case studies here.

Steve Morgan Foundation supports Everton in the Community with multi-million-pound funding

The Steve Morgan Foundation is delighted to be supporting Everton in the Community with multi-million-pound funding to deliver early intervention programmes in Liverpool 4 and South Sefton to tackle social deprivation and inequalities that often hinder young people from getting the best start in life.

The Steve Morgan Foundation has been working with the charitable arm of Everton Football Club since 2020, delivering the ‘Steve Morgan Impact Model’ in Speke-Garston to protect young people from exploitation and inspire them to reach their full potential. In the last three years more than 13,500 individuals have been supported resulting in significant improvements in mental wellbeing, developments in skills and knowledge, and increases in attendance and engagement in school.

Everton in the Community’s delivery of the Impact Model in South Liverpool has also contributed to wider school and community changes, such as improved Ofsted ratings in two of the three high schools it works in, improved literary scores and declining anti-social behaviour trends in an area where 40% of young people aged 16+ have no qualifications and 40% of children live in poverty.

And it is thanks to the significant impact of its work in Speke-Garston as to why Everton in the Community and the Steve Morgan Foundation are keen to roll out the Impact Model in Liverpool 4 and South Sefton to nurture aspirations for a brighter tomorrow.

The wards of Liverpool 4 and South Sefton suffer from high levels of deprivation, crime, poor health and child exploitation and the new three-year multi-million-pound funding will see EitC work in primary and secondary schools in the area to deliver the ‘Steve Morgan Impact Model’ to elevate academic achievements, prevent anti-social behaviour and vulnerability to gangs, improve physical and mental wellbeing, develop work and life skills, and boost confidence and self-esteem.

Thanks to the funding received from the Steve Morgan Foundation, the independently financed and independently-governed charitable arm of Everton Football Club will deliver targeted interventions in identified high schools and primary schools across Liverpool 4 and South Sefton to overcome these issues as well as tackling inadequate provision for students with special educational needs and disabilities, struggling literacy skills, negative behaviour and attitudes and limited access to enrichment opportunities.

Over three years, charity staff will work in four identified high schools and nine primary schools to support thousands of young people at a crucial stage in their education journey and deliver personal, social and health education as well as provide access to a range of after-school activities, career and pathway programmes, one-on-one mentoring, social action projects, pastoral support, literacy and numeracy initiatives and much more with the aim of improving attendance rates, enhancing SEND provision, fostering positive behaviour and increasing access to diverse enrichment opportunities.

Everton in the Community will also provide wrap-around support to families of children connected to the Steve Morgan Impact Model and provide employment support, pathways into the charity’s new ADHD screen service as well as specialist mental health support and welfare and benefit advice.

EitC Chief Executive Officer Sue Gregory said: “The areas of Liverpool 4 and South Sefton are home to some of the most deprived communities in the country where our research has shown that socio-economic challenges severely impact education. The aftermath of the pandemic hit these communities harder than most, leaving young people vulnerable and in desperate need of support.

“Thanks to this significant funding from Steve Morgan Foundation, we are able to deliver immediate and decisive interventions in these areas to prevent them succumbing to a life of crime and help them achieve a good education and subsequent employment.

“Our vision is to create systematic change in the Liverpool 4 and South Sefton communities by investing in youth and offering vital support to their families. We believe that the Steve Morgan Impact Model will continue to serve as a pioneering model of place-based change and a flagship programme for transforming communities as we work together to build a better future for our young people.

Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation added, “We have been proud to work with Everton in the Community since 2019 and we are delighted to provide our practical support and financial backing for the expansion of the Steve Morgan Impact Model into Liverpool 4 and South Sefton.

“The Impact Model was originally inspired by Steve Morgan’s desire to give back to the community in which he grew up and our partnership with Everton in the Community highlights the Foundation’s approach to providing long-term secure funding, underpinned by very practical support and expertise. We are thrilled that the Impact Model will now have the potential to change the trajectories of thousands more young lives in our region.”

The Steve Morgan Foundation also provided significant funding and support for the development of The People’s Place – Everton in the Community’s purpose-built mental health and wellbeing hub and the first such initiative by any Premier League club.

Steve Morgan Foundation recognises exemplary service of Director of Grants

Jane Harris, the Director of Grants at the Steve Morgan Foundation has announced her planned retirement at the end of July. Following a 17-year tenure at the charity, Jane will continue her longstanding association by immediately joining the Board of Trustees.

Jane has been integral to the development of the Foundation, starting as the sole employee and managing its growth into one of the UK’s leading foundations today. Jane has built lasting relationships with many charities and organisations across the UK and was also behind the Foundation’s annual conference and awards events, which have seen numerous charities recognised for their excellent work.

Jane will continue to deliver support and insight to the charity as a member of its Board of Trustees, which she will join in August.

Commenting on Jane’s service to the charity, founder and chairman Steve Morgan says: “When the history of the Foundation is written, it will largely consist of the history of Jane Harris and her leadership. Jane has been at the absolute centre of the work of the Foundation for the past 17 years and has been responsible for developing and maintaining our exceptional network.”

“During her tenure, some of Jane’s most notable achievements include the Community Match Challenge, where £20 million was awarded to more than 120 organisations and individuals across Merseyside and Cheshire within a period of just 59 days. Jane has also played a key role in the Cradle to Career scheme, which has cumulatively been awarded over £6m for improving children’s literacy standards across North Birkenhead and the Liverpool City Region.

“We can’t thank Jane enough for her commitment over the years and we are delighted that she will continue to support us by joining our Board of Trustees.”

Of her experience at the Steve Morgan Foundation, Jane says: “Through my work at the Foundation, I have been lucky enough to meet many people doing extraordinary things that truly change lives.

“It has been an honour and a privilege to work with so many incredible charities over the years, to help them grow and make a real difference to our local communities. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with the dedicated team at the Foundation, as a member of the Board, and seeing our CEO Liam Eaglestone continue to steer the charity towards an even brighter, more promising future.”

Everton in the Community opens Premier League’s first mental health hub

Everton in the Community has officially opened the doors to The People’s Place – the first purpose-built mental health and wellbeing hub attached to a Premier League football club.

The People’s Place was officially declared open by Evertonian and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham as part of a ceremony attended by a variety of stakeholders who have all played a part in helping to shape the building ready for community use.

Made possible thanks to significant contributions from the Steve Morgan Foundation, the Premier League, The FA and Government’s Football Foundation, Causeway Technologies and their founder Phil Brown, the multi-million-pound facility will offer a first-of-its-kind service delivered by a football club’s community foundation.

The building, located just 500 metres away from Goodison Park, will house the charity’s 15 mental health projects and provide wellbeing activities alongside educational and employment support, using virtual reality, immersive experiences and artificial intelligence to complement delivery. The People’s Place will also offer a layer of professional care from health and wellbeing practitioners, GPs and mental health professionals.

Funds for the capital build were also raised by a wide variety of fundraising activity including a gala dinner, a Ravin’ Fit dance session with Jordan Pickford, a hug-a-thon with Andre Gomes, the Spellow Brick Lane commemorative walkway and The Speed Cycle, where a group of cyclists biked around the late Gary Speed’s former clubs in his memory.

Everton in the Community has been delivering award-winning, life-changing and life-saving mental health provision across Merseyside for more than 15 years and The People’s Place, situated on Spellow Lane, will form the latest part of the charity’s Goodison Campus. Research shows that poor mental health and suicide are more common in more significantly deprived inner-city areas such as Liverpool 4 where Goodison Park resides.

The last 10 years has seen Everton in the Community – along with partners – invest more than £13million in the physical regeneration of the area, changing the face of the landscape around Goodison Park, transforming derelict sites into thriving destinations.

Alongside The People’s Place, the Goodison Campus boasts The People’s Hub and The Blue Base – which have both also previously been supported by Football Foundation investment – as well as Everton Free School and the Cruyff Court.

The addition of The People’s Place will see the charity continue to help transform lives by providing access to mental health support to all, regardless of age, gender or football allegiances.

Michael Salla, Deputy CEO for Everton in the Community, said: It’s a very proud moment for our charity to open the People’s Place, which will provide a range of evidence-based activities to improve mental health and wellbeing. The whole community stands to benefit from this hub through improved wellbeing, skills and access to high-quality, health care in a community setting.”

Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester, said: “As a proud Evertonian and a big advocate of mental health support, it was an honour and a privilege to be invited to officially open The People’s Place. This is a much-needed facility in the heart of a community that needs it most. It will enable Everton in the Community to continue to grow and develop its well-earned reputation in delivering high-quality mental health provision as well as providing access to key clinical services in L4.”

Liam Eaglestone, CEO of the Steve Morgan Foundation, said: “The Steve Morgan Foundation is very proud to partner with EitC who have a wonderful track record, over many decades, of making a sustained and positive difference to the people and communities within the Liverpool area, and beyond.

We are delighted to have been able to contribute funds towards the construction of the new People’s Place building on the Goodison Campus. This wonderful new facility will enable EitC to give more people more access to a broad range of activities and specialist support to enhance every area of health and wellbeing. The Steve Morgan Foundation is committed to working with great partners like EitC with the shared vision of changing lives for good.”