Everton Veterans’ Hub (previously known as Knowsley Veterans' Hub) caters for all serving and ex-serving veterans across the region.
Launched in 2016, the programme aims to engage ex-service personnel who are at risk of isolation with an array of social activities combined with sport training.
When servicemen and women return home, they can sometimes find the transition from such a structured, highly-disciplined lifestyle to civilian life extremely stressful and it can lead to a host of interlinked problems.
Everton Veterans’ Hub offers a range of engagement tools, support mechanisms and evidence-based behavioural change methods to improve the lives of veterans and their families.
Key achievements for the programme include:
- The past three years have seen the programme support more than 600 veterans. The programme has supported 15 veterans with mental health issues and moved 15 veterans away from homelessness, as well as supporting 70 ex-forces personnel currently in prison. The Club has also employed 13 veterans as matchday stewards and helped 12 additional veterans gain new qualifications.
- Worked alongside TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Programme for Survivors), FAB (Family Activity Breaks) and Scotty’s Little Soldiers to set up a partnership to support bereaved families in the UK and USA. One example saw a young Evertonian whose life was turned upside down after his father – a serving soldier of 27 years - took his own life in 2017. Everton in the Community - with support from the Club - worked with his family to provide him with a matchday experience for the West Ham United fixture, as well as a tour of the stadium, and a VIP experience at Finch Farm where he spent the morning meeting his Everton heroes.
- In May 2019, 102-year-old lifelong blue and ex-service veteran Tom Beevers was thrown a special surprise birthday party at Finch Farm, meeting Everton manager Marco Silva and former player Phil Jagielka. Supported by Everton in the Community since mid-2018, Tom served with the Seventh Armoured Division of the British Army and has received support from the Club by the way of general home maintenance in the comfort of his own home.
- Acquired funding from The Veterans Foundations for a further 12 months as well as additional financial support from Spirit Foundation.
- Received just shy of £20,000 of funding from Liverpool law firm MSB Solicitors to support veterans living in the Liverpool city region.
- The programme and its participants played its first 11-a-side fixture against Burnley at half-time during last month’s fixture at Turf Moor, with Everton in the Community’s side winning 4-3.
- Welcomed members of the Armed Forces at the home game against Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park. A wreath was laid before kick-off on the semi-circle before the Goodison crowd fell silent in remembrance while The Last Post was played
For more information on Everton Veterans’ Hub and how to get involved, contact Dave Curtis, Everton Veterans' Hub Manager via email on david.curtis@evertonfc.com.
