Redrow founder Steve Morgan has given Everton in the Community £1.5million to help provide essential work supporting local people throughout and after the coronavirus crisis.
Born in Liverpool, millionaire Mr Morgan is known for his charity contributions and over 19 years he has donated more than £300million to charities through The Steve Morgan Foundation.
Everton in the Community was awarded the money from the foundation and the government’s Community Match Challenge initiative, after presenting how they plan to increase essential services to vulnerable people, with a specific spotlight on mental health and education.
Steve Morgan said: “My trustees and I have seen first-hand the wide ranging grassroots support that Everton in the Community delivers across Liverpool City Region and are proud to be working with this charity with which we have so many aims in common.
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“Covid-19 has made a deep impact on communities which were already experiencing significant disadvantage and proactive, professionally delivered targeted support is needed now more than ever.
“Thanks to the match funding opportunity offered by Community Match Challenge and DCMS we are able to double the support for this vital work and, most importantly, help Everton in the Community realise their ambition of The People’s Place mental health facility.”
The funding will enable Everton in the Community to further develop its life-changing and life-saving help, charity bosses say.
The funding allows the charity to tackle the worsening education inequality gap for young people across Liverpool City Region - which has further widened as a result of the pandemic.
It will also allow the charity to build on its mental health provision.
With the funding they also plan to build and deliver a purpose-built mental health facility – The People’s Place – in the heart of Liverpool 4.
Everton in the Community chief executive officer Richard Kenyon said: “The funding will also move us closer to bringing our much-needed mental health facility, The People’s Place, to Liverpool 4 and we are more committed than ever to providing first-class support relating to suicide prevention and positive mental health.
“Together with the Steve Morgan Foundation we are committed to addressing the inevitable increase of mental-health related issues as a result of the pandemic.”
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