Everton Football Club’s official charity fought off strong competition to win Community Club of the Season, Premier League and Community Initiative of the Season for its Blue Base Pantry scheme which to date has supported over 26,000 local residents with access to discounted food and other key wraparound services, such as employment and housing support.

Everton in the Community was proudly crowned the ‘Community Club of the Year’ for a second year in a row in front of a packed-out event at Emirates Old Trafford which saw clubs from across the North West come together to celebrate the best of football both on and off the pitch over the last 12 months.

The charity was acknowledged for its life-changing impact over the past year with highlights including the launch of the first mental health and wellbeing hub attached to a Premier League Club in The People’s Place, and the region’s first Digital Skills Lab, completing a £13million regeneration of a key part of L4.

Elsewhere, EitC has also extended its provision to support people with long-term physical health conditions, whilst a new children’s mental health programme for those who have been bereaved by suicide or self-inflicted death and a dedicated programme to support females with the transition back to civilian life have all been launched over the past year.

Launched in the summer of 2022, the Blue Base Pantry is a member-run initiative which aims to tackle poverty in all of its forms. Situated in one of the most deprived wards in the UK, the pantry supports over 100 L4 residents each week, helping them navigate through the cost of living crisis and the social challenges that come with it.

Despite only launching 18 months ago, the pantry is now the third busiest ‘Your Local Pantry’ in the UK and was recently cited as an example of best practice in the UK Parliament’s DEFRA Food Security Reports.

Collecting the award on the night, Sue Gregory, CEO at Everton in the Community said:

“The North West Football Awards was yet another night where everybody associated with Everton in the Community can be extremely proud.

“To win the Community Club of the Season is a significant achievement in itself, but to win the award for the second year in a row is testament to our ongoing commitment to supporting and empowering our communities through our life-changing work.

“Our 60+ programmes and initiatives are driven by our incredible workforce of staff and volunteers who are dedicated to making a significant impact on every single participant they come into contact with. They are at the heart of our impact and everything that we do.”

Following on from another award-winning year for the charity, Everton in the Community has recently launched a five-year strategy to build stronger communities and brighter futures.

Formed through three pillars in Learns, Minds and Thrives, the Trinity project will see EitC wager a relentless battle against poverty, inequality and health disparities paving the way for a brighter future by empowering thousands of residents to achieve meaningful work, better health, enriched lives and lifelong learning.

To find out more about the Trinity Project and what the next five-year holds for Everton in the Community, visit: https://www.evertoninthecommunity.org/trinity-project/.