Everton & Spirit Foundation Join Forces
The Spirit Foundation has significantly increased its long-standing commitment to Everton in the Community and Everton Free School and Football College with a multi-year £2m funding partnership.
The two new programmes of support will commence in July 2024 with the aim of creating a lasting impact for disadvantaged communities in Merseyside.
The Spirit Foundation will now financially support the charity’s 14 disability teams and, in addition, will provide funding to Everton Free School to improve literacy levels, as well as supporting marginalised students in its Football College.
Currently celebrating its 30th anniversary, the Spirit Foundation has supported a wide array of Everton in the Community and Everton Free School projects and initiatives over many years, including the launch of a choir to combat social isolation across the Liverpool 4 district and, importantly, the establishment and building of a library within the Spellow Lane-based Everton Free School.
Within Everton in the Community, the £1m funding will see the Spirit Foundation become an Official Supporter of the charity’s disability teams with the organisation’s logo featured on all training wear. The Foundation’s directors will also be involved and take an active interest in the programmes.
Chairman and CEO of the Spirit Organisation, Ian Kilbride, commented: “We are delighted to be the Official Partner of EitC’s disability teams and the literacy development programme within EFS and we know that the combined £2m funding will have a meaningful impact.
“With our 30-year history of success in educational and community-based projects, the Spirit Foundation is perfectly placed to work even closer with EitC and EFS.”
Sue Gregory, Chief Executive Officer for Everton in the Community, added: “The Spirit Foundation and Ian Kilbride are long-standing supporters of our charity and its programmes.
“We are so appreciative that they have pledged their long-term commitment to our work through the sponsorship of our fourteen disability teams.
“These teams provide competitive footballing opportunities for children and adults, and we currently support more than 130 disabled footballers each year, some of whom also represent their country internationally.
“This funding will enable us to further develop our teams to ensure we are offering these opportunities to as many people as possible.”
