LFC Foundation Launches Dedicated Support For Premier League’s ‘Together Against Suicide’ Initiative
LFC Foundation will offer specialist support and confidential advice to fans at Anfield experiencing suicidal thoughts.
The club’s official charity, alongside LFC Safeguarding, has created the new initiative called Kicking Off Conversations – part of the Premier League’s ‘Together Against Suicide’ campaign – which will see the creation of a new permanent space outside Anfield Stadium, providing fans with a safe and welcoming place to talk about their mental wellbeing on Premier League matchdays.
The community space will be located at the corner of 97 Avenue and Anfield Road. For every Premier League home fixture, trained staff and volunteers will be available to support people in crisis, struggling in silence, or simply looking to have a conversation. The space is available to provide comfort, connection and practical help, and staff will be able to signpost visitors to further specialist services when necessary.
‘Together Against Suicide’ is backed by all 20 Premier League clubs and has been created with suicide prevention charity Samaritans. Recent data shows that someone in the UK takes their own life every 90 minutes, and one in four people have had suicidal thoughts. LFC is one of 11 clubs to provide bespoke support and LFC Foundation will be working closely with Liverpool City Council’s ReachOut Liverpool programme and the Zero Suicide Alliance to ensure all staff and volunteers are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to support fans effectively.
Matt Parish, chief executive LFC Foundation, said: “We’re very proud to launch our Kicking Off Conversations imitative at the derby game at Anfield and support this vitally important wider Premier League campaign.
“Our aim is to use the power of football to bring people together, creating a safe space for people to be able to talk about mental wellbeing and helping them to feel more supported and less alone in times of crisis.”
This initiative is part of the LFC Foundation’s wider commitment to improving health and wellbeing across the Liverpool City Region and beyond, building on its dedicated mental health programmes for young people and adults in local schools and community hubs.
To find out more about Kicking Off Conversations and the community space, fans can speak to a member of the LFC Safeguarding Team at Anfield on matchdays, or email safeguarding@liverpoolfc.com.
