Everton stars Seamus Coleman and Amadou Onana joined in Everton in the Community’s 35th anniversary celebrations this week as they spent time with young people from the charity’s 41 Goodison programme.
A group of participants from the scheme were invited to the Club’s Finch Farm training ground to meet with the Men's First-Team duo for an extra special session as they took part in a series of team-building games and challenges designed to improve communication and social skills.
The light-hearted games included ‘team cup stack’, ‘fear pong’, a card puzzle and a word relay race as well as a stadium build challenge where the groups competed against each other to build a replica football stadium using just marshmellows, dried spaghetti and paper with the help and support of Club captain Coleman and summer signing Onana.
During the activities, Coleman and Onana also spent time chatting with the participants about their experiences on the 41 Goodison programme to date as well as learning about their own personal journeys and what they have achieved with the support of Everton in the Community.
41 Goodison is an intervention programme that works with males and females aged eight to 19 to develop confidence, self-esteem and raise aspirations while providing pathways into education, training and employment.
Working with some of the city’s most high-risk young people to provide them with opportunities to make significant and lasting life changes, 41 Goodison delivers one-to-one support sessions and targeted interventions to help participants improve their health and wellbeing, gain new skills and qualifications and enjoy new experiences.
Speaking after the session, Blues captain Coleman said: “I’ve been privileged to spend a lot of time at Everton in the Community sessions during my time with my Club and I always look forward to them as well as taking a lot away from them and today was no different.
“Amadou and I had a great time playing the games with young people and helping them develop their skills around teamwork and communication which are important attributes for everyone to use throughout life.
“Thirty five years of our amazing charity is a fantastic achievement and I’m so proud of the difference it makes each and every day.”
EitC Interventions Coordinator, Bradley Moore, added: “Our young people had a great time at Finch Farm today and it was great to see Seamus and Amadou throwing themselves into the activities with them – there was definitely some healthy competition between the teams!
“We work closely with these young people to support them through the challenges they might be facing at school or in their personal life and help to encourage them to make better life choices with the aim of re-engaging them in education and raising aspirations. Visits such as this are a fantastic way of recognising and rewarding their hard work during their time with us and we’re very appreciative to Seamus and Amadou for giving up their time to come and find out more about our 41 Goodison programme.”
Everton in the Community has been at the forefront of social intervention for 35 years, tackling issues which are prevalent across the city. The charity’s programmes are specifically designed and developed to combat these issues including mental health, employability, dementia, education, disability, poverty and homelessness.
The charity supports people of all ages, genders, ethnicities and socioeconomic backgrounds from more than 140 venues across the city region. From delivering the Premier League Primary Stars programme to school children to supporting the elderly members of the Liverpool community who are suffering from social isolation, Everton in the Community is open and inclusive to all.
Thanks to the breadth and impact of its programme offering, Everton in the Community generated more than £64million for the local area during 2021/22 – meaning that the charity generated £29.86 for every £1 invested through its ground-breaking work during this time.
Societal value is the calculation of benefits created by an organisation as part of their everyday output. The figures are based on an accepted national formula and not only take into account the value for money created by Everton in the Community, but also the wider benefit to society through the direct impact on people’s lives, the economy and the environment.
For more information on Everton in the Community and its range of programmes, visit Everton in the Community .
You can also click here to donate to Everton in the Community and help the charity continue making a difference across the region.
