Everton Boss Surprises Deserving Community Heroes

Everton Football Club’s Blue Crimbo celebrations are one of the highlights of the festive period and this year sees the Toffees rewarding community heroes and people who have put others above themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

And there is no greater example of a community hero than Chris Foulkes of Relish Liverpool - as Blues boss Carlo Ancelotti found out when he joined a video call to thank him and his partner Kiara for their incredible and unwavering support of Everton in the Community’s Blue Family campaign throughout 2020. 

WATCH CARLO ANCELOTTI SURPRISE COMMUNITY HEROES CHRIS AND KIARA NOW

Whilst Chris and Kiara are both Liverpool fans, Everton in the Community is a charity very close to their hearts, as Chris’ father Bobby was a long-standing and popular participant on the Pass on the Memories programme for five years until he sadly lost his life to coronavirus in May.

Wanting to honour Bobby's memory, Chris and Kiara reached out to the charity’s Neighbourhood Manager Sarah Atherton with the offer to donate hundreds of pre-prepared ready meals each week to Blue Family to help feed participants and Liverpool 4 residents during a difficult time. Eight months later and Relish Liverpool has donated more than 11,000 nutritious and tasty meals to Everton in the Community, worth almost £50,000. 

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04:35

'I WASN'T EXPECTING THAT!' - CARLO SURPRISES COMMUNITY HEROES

Boss passes on Club's gratitude to business owners who donated 11,000 meals to Everton in the Community.

 

An unsuspecting Chris thought he was simply joining a weekly catch-up meeting with Everton staff and Co-CEO Kiara when Blues boss Ancelotti jumped on the call from USM Finch Farm to express his personal thanks for all of the support they have given the local community and offered his own support and assistance in the future, as well as extending a personal invitation to Chris, Kiara and their two children to visit him at the Blues' training base once restrictions are lifted. 

Once he had gotten over the shock of the surprise guest, Chris said: “I thought we were having a chat with Everton in the Community about our next meal deliveries and then suddenly Carlo Ancelotti popped up! I was a bit lost for words – we were speaking to one of the best football managers in the world! I couldn’t believe he had taken time out of his day to speak to us; we spoke about dad and he said some really touching things about how my dad would have been proud of us for what we are doing in the community, which meant a lot. 

“Myself and Kiara are Reds, and so was my dad, and my brother and his children are Blues, but we’ve all gotten closer to Everton thanks to the Pass on the Memories project, which made such a big difference to our lives for five years. Everton in the Community is a charity that means a lot to us, not just as a business, but as a family, so it's fitting that working with them over the past few months has not only helped us evolve as a company but also to work together as a family to give back to our community. Ourselves, our team, and even our family - with special thanks to Delphine Foulkes and Delphine Raley - have worked tirelessly to build our vision of a business that cares.

Chris and his father, Bobby, who passed away in May.


“You might think that in this city you can’t really say that you support both clubs, but we genuinely do. Everton in the Community doesn’t look at it like that – they are there to help anyone that needs it, and everyone can get involved in their projects. 

"Blue Family gives out a lovely message that is even more important now – it is not just a Club, it is a family, and everyone is welcome.

“We’re proud to give something back after Everton in the Community helped us and we will continue to support those who need us most.”

You might think that in this city you can’t really say that you support both clubs, but we genuinely do. Everton in the Community doesn’t look at it like that – they are there to help anyone that needs it.


Everton manager Ancelotti added: “I was humbled to meet Chris and Kiara and pass on my thanks and gratitude after learning about how they have given so much incredible support to our Blue Family this year. 

"It was an honour to talk with them and find out more about their work and listen to Chris’ memories about his father, Bobby, and I know he would be very proud of what they have done. I look forward to welcoming them to USM Finch Farm and thanking them in person when it is safe to do so.”


During the call, Chris and Kiara were also played a series of video messages from local community groups and schools who have benefitted from Relish’s food donations, as well as a personal message of thanks from Everton in the Community CEO, Richard Kenyon*.

"Chris and the team at Relish have become a great friend to Everton in the Community over the last year and have been a steadfast supporter of our Blue Family campaign," said Kenyon.

"We were all saddened to hear of the passing of Chris’ father, Bobby, in April. He was a much-loved member of our Pass on the Memories programme for more than five years and it has been truly inspiring to see how Chris and the team have been so passionate in giving back to Everton in the Community in memory of their beloved Bobby.

"On behalf of everyone at Everton in the Community, thank you Chris.” 

Established in south Liverpool in 2010, Relish has built up a reputation for delivering the best locally-sourced and inspired foods and specialises in catering and events, as well as providing catering for The Venue at the iconic Royal Liver Building, the home of Everton’s headquarters.

* The individuals featured in this section of the video are all live-in residents at Transforming Choice CIC and all live in the one household bubble in line with Government guidelines.