Topic: Liverpool FC Military Veterans programme to be scrappped: Please Help

[El Ninos Black Eye]

Firstly apologies to the Mods if this is in the wrong section, just trying to get as much coverage as possible for this.

Four years ago the LFC Foundation set up a Veterans programme for ex service personnel. This programme has been a massive success, helping veterans adjust back to civilian life through our love of football. We train every week at the Academy and also play 5 a side at Goals every Thursday. We were given LFC training kit and whenever we played matches we would wear the LFC kit. We've even travelled to a couple of away games on the First Team bus. A dream come true for many of us and the closest any of us have ever got to feeling like a pro footballer. Reds and Blues have come together on this programme, as it's not about wearing the shirt, it's about getting that camaraderie back and sharing the experiences we have been through. This programme has helped so many veterans (myself included) in different ways. For some training on a Sunday is what get's them through the week. Over the last four years the club has been brilliant with us and I can't fault them, but we have helped push this along as much as them.
But now for the Foundation have pulled the funding on it and given redundancy notice to our coach Steve Hollis. Steve is an ex LFC player who was in the reserves with the like of Fowler and McManaman, then played around lower divisions before he came back to the club as an Academy coach and then eventually taking up this role with the Foundation. But after Xmas he will be out of a job and we will be without a programme that has helped so many. Many of the lads on the programme have been put through their FA Level 1 Coaching Badge and they have then gone out into the community as part of the Foundation to help coach young kids.
Most shockingly of all is the club's decision to give Steve his redundancy this week, a week that means so much to many ex service personnel.

Again apologies for posting this here, if it's the wrong place. Just trying to do whatever we can to keep this programme going. If anyone can help in any sort of way, big or small it will be greatly appreciated. Thanks

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-fc-military-veterans-coach-12161068

[El Ninos Black Eye]

copy of the letter to of our members have sent to the club

LFC Foundation STOPS Military Veterans Programme 2012 – 2016
 04/11/16.
 It is with great sadness, disappointment and anger that we write to you on behalf of the Military Veterans involved in the LFC Foundation programme. We are aware that in same week as Remembrance we understand that our Programme is being ended. We are told that funding has ended. Does the Foundation or club have no one capable of finding this money?
 The programme was started by the Foundation in October 2012 when they asked Military Veterans to come together for football sessions at the Academy. We as Veterans did not ask for this programme the Foundation came to us. So after 4 years we are now told that the CCG/NHS funding has stopped so this means that we lose a programme that many participants have to come to rely on. The line that we have been given is that other funding is being looked into but we feel that this is not a serious commitment from the Foundation / Club as our Coach and Mentor who is currently LFC Foundation staff is being made redundant. Also, no member of the Foundation Management team has had the decency to come down to a session and tell us in person what the situation is. This is disrespectful to a group that includes many lads who have fought in conflict for this country.
 We the Veterans have for the last 4 years attended sessions at the LFC Academy and played in 11 a side matches wearing the LFC kit. This has always made us feel part of the LFC family and a part of the foundation. We have taken part in fundraising activities such as the Run for the 96’ and the Steven Gerrard Jamie Carragher All Stars game. With the All-stars game advertised in the Liverpool Echo as money being raised going to help existing programmes such as the Military veterans. Was that a line to get fans to part with their hard earned money to give to a foundation that is now giving nothing back? Well some of that money is now needed!
 We believe that it is now the responsibility of the Foundation / Club to put something back to this worthwhile group of Veterans who have been used many times to promote the work that the Foundation / Club does in the community. The veterans programme has been featured on Sky, BBC, Match of the Day and British forces news and in the local paper and has given the Foundation a lot of good PR. It is a disgrace that you can wheel us out to fundraise, speak at a dinner, LFC Christmas service and be used in the press but you cannot find a few thousand pounds to keep us going for 12 months while the Head of the Foundation gets her team to find suitable funding or a sponsor that can keep this programme running in the same way as it has for the last 4 years. We as supporters of LFC would like to ask for a breakdown of how much the Foundation has raised in the last 2 years and where this money has gone. Is the Foundation another charity organisation that spends its money on staff costs?
 The programme itself has grown every year and is the strongest and most vibrant it has ever been. The lads attend on a regular basis and for some it is the main interest in their lives. When the foundation advertised sessions at the Academy this was seen as a fantastic opportunity for us all whether red or blue. We have grown as a group with many lads meeting people who have had similar experiences good and bad in places like Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan. As well as social benefits there have been lads who have now got football coaching jobs, this would never have happened without this programme. We have always worn the LFC kit with pride whilst representing the club but now feel let down and hurt with the way it seems so easy for the Foundation to let the programme die a death without regard for the people who have been a part of it. Also we all know that there has been a partnership with the Liverpool Veterans headquarters that has provided housing for at least 2 of the veterans when there was a breakdown in their marriages, again these lads may not have known that this service existed without the football programme being in place.
 In February 2014 the Foundation signed the Armed Forces Covenant with all of us and Brigadier Chris Cole being there. Has this now been forgotten or does the club think this is not important.
 The group has met and we feel that we need to make the wider community and the Liverpool Supporters aware that their own Military veterans are being kicked out of the club / foundation for the sake of a few thousand pounds. We think that the same media who covered the good news stories about the Veterans for the foundation would now interested in publishing that Military veterans are being turned away by LFC. Many of the group have been a fans all their lives but on this occasion am totally disgusted that such a worthwhile community initiative stared by the Foundation / club now can’t be supported. This would not happen in America where Military veterans are rightly looked after and respected by all sides of the community. We wonder how many LFC fans have family members in the forces or are ex forces or sadly may have been bereaved in conflict around the world.
 We would like to ask for a meeting to be set up with the Foundation or other community representatives from the club to discuss with a small representation of the group the possibility of keeping this programme alive and how best to provide the necessary money needed. We ourselves are quite happy to fund raise ourselves. Having had no contact from the Foundation management team we would now seek a meeting with the club CEO Ian Ayre to discuss this matter. Should this meeting not be available to us we would ask that another senior member of the club’s management team contacts us to discus how we can move this forward and keep this worthwhile programme running. Should the club not feel it appropriate to discuss this matter with us we would then look to the LFC supports groups, their own social media outlets and the local and national media who have covered the good news story that the Veterans have represented to the club in the past 4 years.
 Some not all of the participants could come into the vulnerable category so we need to explore every option and make sure all avenues have been covered. For their wellbeing going forward.
 It is again with great sadness that we write on behalf of the group but hope this prompts action to help our Veterans now and in the future.
 Yours Sincerely the Military Veterans Ambassador’s

[Keith Lard]

Gosh, this is very sad.

Very predictable what I'm going to say but so true ... With so much money flying around in the game today, you'd think they could find the relative pennies required to keep such a worthy programme going. Even if they do end up keeping it going, it really taints the good will linked to such a programme. Good luck in keeping it alive.

[Timbo's Goals]

Surely this has to be a mistake El Nino? A case of the left hand not aware of what the right hand is doing.

Unless I'm missing something fundamental here, what possible purpose can be served by closing down such an admirable set up for the relatively paltry savings involved?

Hopefully this will begin to get wider publicity and the club will realise the error.

[Alf]

Very sad to read this but not surprised. Hopefully a big stink will be kicked up forcing them to change their minds.

[mattyyt]

This is terrible. Like others have said, it can't be costing them that much money. Perhaps them wanting to move the first team from Melwood has impacted this?

Nonetheless, it's unacceptable. Do you have a twitter account for this? Getting things flying around on there should drum up a lot of support.

[mjjason]

Shame that this is happening.  Can't imagine it would cost that much to run.

What is the link between the LFC foundation and LFC the club?

[Upinsmoke]

Can't get my head around this one.

Hope it gets sorted and it gets plenty of attention so they will reconsider cutting the funding. Can't see how it impacts the club in the grand scheme of things.

[rocco]

Hope it's sorted soon.

[El Ninos Black Eye]

Thanks for the response.  Yes we are trying to get it as much coverage as possible  I have a twitter @kevlfc77 if anyone wants to retweet to give it more coverage.
Initially it started of as a men's health programme for ex military but took off so much if became LFC Military Veterans. Most of the funding came from the NHS but that has been pulled and the club aren't bothered about looking for more or funding it themselves. It costs around 50k a year to run We are at the Academy Sunday afternoons when no one else is there except the 24 hour security.  So it's not like they are paying someone to be there for us. What is a shame is they've wheeled us out for publicity whenever they needed us to. Had us bucket collecting at games and the Gerrard v Carra game last year to support our foundation but then donthis. They also signed this in 2014 as a promise to us. But looks like they are basically ripping it up now

http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/162388-lfc-foundation-s-commitment-to-armed-forces

[Baraka]

I'm sure if you guys set up an indiegogo site or something, could you get funding from the fans? As maybe a last alternative if the club won't budge?

[only6times]

Get on to John Henry's missus on Twitter. All the sheep who follow her will get to see it.

[andy07]

Shambolic this, however I imagine that once someone in a position of influence gets wind the decision will be reversed and appropriate funding found to continue.   

[redtel]

Surprised to hear about this programme being cut as it's obviously doing good work.

Considering we have American owners its the last thing I thought would happen.

I watch a fair amount of U.S. Sport on TV and for as long as I can remember it has been linked very closely with their armed forces. They are present at all games in many sports and the job the military do is made clear for all to see. This aspect has grown in the UK over recent years with a military presence at sports events.

I suspect the owners don't know of this cut but with Mike Gordon in a lofty position they surely should have been briefed unless it was considered too minor.

I hope the £50k is found to keep it running.

[El Ninos Black Eye]

Get on to John Henry's missus on Twitter. All the sheep who follow her will get to see it.

Already done that mate. We've tweeted everyone from John Henry to Lucas who is a trustee of the Foundation. As of yet nothing from them. The echo have already reported it and another reported is looking at pickingup the story. But just need to get this out there as much as possible and hopefully the club have a rethink.

[only6times]

Already done that mate. We've tweeted everyone from John Henry to Lucas who is a trustee of the Foundation. As of yet nothing from them. The echo have already reported it and another reported is looking at pickingup the story. But just need to get this out there as much as possible and hopefully the club have a rethink.

My nephew is on the Anfield Wrap. Have banged him a text about it.

[Alf]

Here we are making a profit in the transfer market and we can't spare 50k to fund this, probably the same 50k we're paying Sakho each week to gather dust in the Under 23's.

[Bunter]

It's shambolic. I don't know who looked at this and thought it was a good idea, announcing it on the week of Rembrance aswell. Another PR disaster from the club who value profit over decency.

[El Ninos Black Eye]

My nephew is on the Anfield Wrap. Have banged him a text about it.

Thanks for that. If he needs my number let me know and I'll DM you


Look the club has been brilliant to us for four years and it's has changed many people's lives. Don't want this to become a slanging of LFC thread and it gets locked. Just want to get it out there and get as much publicity as possible and hopefully the club will realise what good work they were doing and reverse their decision

[TheTeflonJohn]

Grim reading that.

Nino, do you have a rough idea on how much funding the club put into this each year?

[El Ninos Black Eye]

Grim reading that.

Nino, do you have a rough idea on how much funding the club put into this each year?

To be honest no. As I said it was part funded by the NHS but not sure how much.  We even said we'd be happy to pay some kind of subs to keep it going if we needed to

[4pool]

Years back I volunteered, in the USA, to be on a team that oversaw where The United Way locally saw their funds go to. I was put on a team that looked into day care centers for kids. We had 10-12 agencies to visit and determine the allocation of funds for each. It was a tough job to sit down and tell those agencies you will get X amount next year when they were all doing a good job. Each explained a major portion of their annual budget came from The United Way.

What I am coming to is that someone at LFC Foundation has made that choice.

http://foundation.liverpoolfc.com/theteam

Best thing  to do is go straight to the top.

Also see if you can get Gerrard and Carra on the case.


You might also remind them they still have this on their website:

http://foundation.liverpoolfc.com/military-veterans



Best of luck.

[God's Left Peg]

Disgraceful this, 50 grand is nothing to LFC, so I hope you can get your message across to someone influential. This is absolutely the sort of thing the club should be doing as part of its work with the local community.

Good luck getting it sorted.

[El Ninos Black Eye]

Years back I volunteered, in the USA, to be on a team that oversaw where The United Way locally saw their funds go to. I was put on a team that looked into day care centers for kids. We had 10-12 agencies to visit and determine the allocation of funds for each. It was a tough job to sit down and tell those agencies you will get X amount next year when they were all doing a good job. Each explained a major portion of their annual budget came from The United Way.

What I am coming to is that someone at LFC Foundation has made that choice.

http://foundation.liverpoolfc.com/theteam

Best thing  to do is go straight to the top.

Also see if you can get Gerrard and Carra on the case.


You might also remind them they still have this on their website:

http://foundation.liverpoolfc.com/military-veterans



Best of luck.

As I said we've message as many people within the club, ex players and the media. Just waiting on a few things back media wise, obviously only the Echo has covered it so far.

Even worse is the club only signed this 2 years ago. Looking like a broken promis now


http://www.liverpoolfc.com/news/first-team/162388-lfc-foundation-s-commitment-to-armed-forces

[4pool]

If you don't get any joy shortly, organize your own bucket appeal before the Sunderland match. Do it over the Friday and Saturday the 25th and 26th. Have flyers ready to hand out with short bullet points as to what is going on.

Do it in front of the three club stores. Anfield, Williamson Square, L1. You can do this before each home match to get the word out.

Do it there so that then people go into the shops with your flyers asking them what's the story. Word filters up through the chain.

I'm not sure if you need a permit to do a bucket appeal. Obviously at Anfield you won't be able to do it on club property.

Anyway just an idea. Good luck. 

[Zeb]

Good luck with the club and getting the funding needed.

[Something Worse]

As soon as one of the Americans at the top hears about this it'll be taken care of, hopefully that's soon and you can rest easy again mate.

[TheTeflonJohn]

To be honest no. As I said it was part funded by the NHS but not sure how much.  We even said we'd be happy to pay some kind of subs to keep it going if we needed to

Without knowing the full financial impact of this programme it can`t be that much, surely?

With the money pouring into football these days, multi millionaire teenagers, agents earning the GDP of a small nation, allegations of corruption all over the place and the club axe an important lifeline like this.

At least now we may able to expand and get another partnership deal going with Ball Bags Donuts or the like 

Quite sickening really.

[TheTeflonJohn]

If you don't get any joy shortly, organize your own bucket appeal before the Sunderland match. Do it over the Friday and Saturday the 25th and 26th. Have flyers ready to hand out with short bullet points as to what is going on.

Do it in front of the three club stores. Anfield, Williamson Square, L1. You can do this before each home match to get the word out.

Do it there so that then people go into the shops with your flyers asking them what's the story. Word filters up through the chain.

I'm not sure if you need a permit to do a bucket appeal. Obviously at Anfield you won't be able to do it on club property.

Anyway just an idea. Good luck. 

Some good ideas there as this would help to spread the word.

[JohnBarnesBigToe]

If you don't get any joy shortly, organize your own bucket appeal before the Sunderland match. Do it over the Friday and Saturday the 25th and 26th. Have flyers ready to hand out with short bullet points as to what is going on.

Do it in front of the three club stores. Anfield, Williamson Square, L1. You can do this before each home match to get the word out.

Do it there so that then people go into the shops with your flyers asking them what's the story. Word filters up through the chain.

I'm not sure if you need a permit to do a bucket appeal. Obviously at Anfield you won't be able to do it on club property.

Anyway just an idea. Good luck. 

Yes you need a permit

https://liverpool.gov.uk/business/licences-and-permits/charitable-collections/

[G Richards]

When stuff like this happens someone in authority should be thinking about the greatness of Liverpool Football Club. This programme is already in existence, is doing good work, and is providing a real focal point for the lads. As far as I'm concerned it is adding to the greatness of Liverpool F.C. and should be seen as an asset.

I don't know why the decision has been made. Is it to do with the proposed move to having academy and first team set up together? Is it because the club feels this is primarily an NHS thing, and the NHS cut of funding is not their problem? If so, that is incredibly shortsighted.

As many have said, £50k is nothing in the grand scheme of LFC finances. I'd like to see funding found and put in place on a recurring annual basis. It is small potatoes to LFC in a financial sense, but again, I can't escape the thought I started with. Somebody needs to be thinking about the greatness of Liverpool Football Club before making a decision like this.

I hope a meeting can be arranged and I hope it will happen in good faith and good spirit. The club can easily turn this around and get on the front foot and keep the programme going. As a red I care about what happens on the pitch. I'm made up with what I'm seeing so far this season. But the greatness and glory of Liverpool Football Club goes even further than that, and to not recognize an opportunity like this is shortsighted.

[NYCRedsFan]

For what it's worth, since I'm in the US, I called FSG and surprisingly was put in touch with a Senior Manager (details omitted as I promised I would not disclose personal information)

Anywhoooo...I wrote to the person with details I spoke to that person about, and here's the reply.  Hope it helps....


Peter,
Thank you for the additional information.  As I mentioned, I really am not involved in LFC at all, but I just forwarded this message to one of my contacts at LFC to see if he can find the right person to direct this message to.
 
Thank you for your loyal support of LFC.
Best,

XXXXXXXX

and Signature 

From: pxxxxxxx@aol.com [mailto:pxxxxxx@aol.com]
Sent: Wednesday, November 16, 2016 12:23 PM
To: XXXXXXXX
Subject: Liverpool Veteran's Program

Good Afternoon, XXXXXXX
 
Thanks for taking my phone call this afternoon, regarding the Liverpool Football Club's Veteran's Programme, under the auspices of the LFC Foundation.

From what I have read, the Programme benefits many Veterans for a small amount of money, and it seems unbelievable that this initiative could be in trouble of disbanding for lack of support.
As a United States Navy Veteran, and passionate supporter of LFC for over 30 years, I would appreciate it if this could be brought to the attention of the most senior management at FSG that has any influence regarding management at Liverpool, up to and including Mr. Henry.

Please read the following links: one is from the Liverpool Echo Newspaper, and the other is from the RedAndWhiteKop Supporters Blog, probably THE most read and contributed-to blog for LFC.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/liverpool-fc-military-veterans-coach-12161068

http://www.redandwhitekop.com/forum/index.php?topic=330409.msg15017167#msg15017167

Thanks again for your attention to this matter.

- My Signature...
 

[El Ninos Black Eye]

Wow. Thank you that's brilliant.  Let me know if they comeback to you.

Things are looking a little bit more hopeful. Hopefully know more after the weekend

[mattD]

What is the point in a football club if they cannot offer service for the community (and beyond in this case)? I cannot believe the major revenues of clubs from today's TV deals would mean a club is hard up and surely even plans for training ground redevelopment wouldn't put such worthy causes at risk? It's a relative pittance to keep it going. Absolutely insane - good luck and let us know if there are any other ways to get involved.

[El Ninos Black Eye]

Looking a bit more hopeful at the min. Funding has been secured for a few months but the long term still seems a bit up in the air. For those in the North West the local BBC news are running report on this tomorrow night apparently

[WidnesJon]

Looking a bit more hopeful at the min. Funding has been secured for a few months but the long term still seems a bit up in the air. For those in the North West the local BBC news are running report on this tomorrow night apparently

There was something about it on at lunch, but unfortunately I didn't have the sound on and realised too late.  Will ensure to watch it tonight.

Cheers
Jon

[SP]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0833fyp/north-west-today-lunchtime-news-21112016

3:40 in.

[El Ninos Black Eye]

Full report at 13:30

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0833fyr/north-west-tonight-evening-news-21112016