Liverpool Football Club

The values of Liverpool Football’s community programmes are:

• To autograph all their work with quality
• To refuse to be average
• To do what they say, to say what they do
• To be the best they can be and to help others to be the best they can be
• To develop TEAM ethic: Together Each Achieves More
• To promote a positive image of football to all the people of their community
• To have a positive attitude.

Liverpool Football Club’s community programme touches issues of health and regeneration as well as education and skills, however this case study focuses upon ‘employability: raising the aspirations and talents of young people.’

Some of their key programmes are outlined below:

• Young Persons of the Year Award – for young people who have made a significant contribution to their families and communities
• Reduc@te - This is LFC’s “Playing for Success” centre funded by the local education authority with premises provided in the Kop stand by the Club.
• Business Partnership with North Liverpool Academy - An Enterprise College that replaced two failing secondary schools in Anfield/Breckfield. A new state-of-the-art campus will be open later in 2009 offering excellent educational facilities.
• Truth 4 Youth - School assemblies tackling issues such as bullying, racism, knife/gun crime, drugs and substance abuse, and health, including (for older children) sexual health.
• Respect 4 All Centre - Sports programmes for young people with disabilities.
• Action 4 Health - residential courses for young people with a parent/carer, giving opportunities for building self-esteem, team spirit and a healthy lifestyle.
• KICKZ - a late night football programme which provides a significant contribution to preventing problems occurring rather than simply intervening when they do. LFC works with Everton FC, Positive Futures and the Merseyside Police on this successful programme which, according to the latest report to the Football Foundation has seen a 25% reduction in anti-social behaviour in one area alone.  Nationally Kickz just won the Sports Industry “Best Community Programme” award.

Read more about these projects: Liverpool FC - key programmes

In 2007/2008 and 2008/2009, Liverpool Football Club invested almost £1.5 million into its community programmes in Liverpool and leveraged £1.05 million in public sector revenue programmes for those programmes while its capital investment levered over £25 million of public sector funding into Liverpool City Council projects that are part of the Anfield Breckfield Regeneration programme.

• Over 22,000 young people engaged in LFC programmes each year
• Over 4,500 health checks in North Liverpool through Action 4 Health as well as an independent study by the University of Liverpool (HaCCRU) showing that 67.5% of people made a healthy lifestyle change as a result of the programme. Action 4 Health won a BITC Big Tick award in 2008. 
• Stanley Park and the Isla Gladstone Conservatory restored in a £14 million project by Liverpool City Council
• 4 North Liverpool Community Centres/sports centres benefitted from almost £10 million of European funding for facilities improvements
• Partnerships with 75 schools
• Positive messages on www.liverpoolfc.tv and other LFC media about the community programme and healthy lifestyles.

For more details about Liverpool FC's approach to community investment, please visit www.liverpoolfc.tv