Everton Football Club welcomed senior leaders from the PAL Centre for a behind-the-scenes look at how the Club is run and to discuss future co-working opportunities.
A registered charity based in Liverpool 8, The PAL (Pakistan Association Liverpool) Centre aims to represent and reflect the ideas and views of its multicultural-community.
The PAL Centre works with residents, local authorities, voluntary organisations and community leaders regardless of race, religion or creed to promote education, good health and wellbeing, community integration as well as providing facilities for social welfare, recreation and leisure.
Members from the PAL Centre’s senior leadership team enjoyed an exclusive tour of Goodison Park and the Club’s state-of-the-art USM Finch Farm training ground. This was followed by a meeting with CEO Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale to discuss ways of utilising the power of football to maximise opportunities available to the region’s BAME (Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic) community.
Kim Healey, People Director at Everton Football Club, said: “It has been fantastic to learn about the outstanding work the PALCentre does in the L8 community and beyond, and we are excited about what we can do by joining forces.
“We want to continue to explore opportunities to work with BAME communities in Liverpool 8 and are hoping to get the PAL Centre involved in our award-winning charity Everton in the Community, using the power of football and all of the opportunities it brings for social and community development and career prospects.”
The PAL Centre was founded in 1977 and works to promote three main priorities: social inclusion for disadvantaged people, support and friendship for the elderly and positive recreational and educational activities for young people who live in economically deprived areas.
Sarfraz Ali MBE, President of the PAL Centre, said: “I’m so pleased to have been invited to Everton and now we can go back into the community and tell them we’ve been to the Club and seen the type of facilities which are on offer.
“Being president of PAL Centre, which is predominately in the BAME community and serving the BAME community, we want to build that strong relationship with Everton Football Club and take it further.
“Young people should be able to find jobs in their own city and that is what we are aiming for and why we want to build this relationship.”
You can read more about the PAL Centre and their great work here: palcentre.community/
