Anthony Gordon spoke of his desire to support the streets he grew up on as the Everton academy graduate dedicated his time and money to vital charity work.
The 21-year-old went to Asda in Bootle on Thursday morning and filled seven trolleys before donating the goods towards helping families struggling during the cost of living crisis. The Everton starlet was acting on his own initiative as he loaded bags with cereal, tinned food and toiletries then drove them to Everton in the Community's weekly food market off County Road. He understands being in a position to support the life-saving initiative is a privilege and is keen to do what he can.
Speaking between picture and autograph requests as he helped on the market stalls, he explained to the ECHO : "I know the struggles that can go on at this time of the year. It can be a really expensive time to live and obviously some people are not fortunate enough to be able to afford certain things. So me being in the position I am, I just wanted to give back and help out as much as I could."
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They were mature words for a young footballer helping out a valuable community resource based just streets from the Kirkdale home he grew up in. As he rose through the academy at Everton his primary thoughts were on football - but there was also a desire to reach a position from which he could support people less fortunate. He said: "It gives me immense pride [being able to help], it's something I dreamed of as a kid - having that responsibility to be able to help as many people as possible.
"Now I am coming to an age where I can go and help as many people as I can through Everton in the Community and I am just really proud, proud to see what they have set up here and proud to be part of it. As a kid I would say it was all about the football and as I have got older and matured I have seen there is more to life. Now I am in a position where I can go outside of football and make an impact off the pitch as well as on it and that is something I am really looking forward to doing."
Gordon led the convoy of trolleys through Asda on Orrell Lane after researching the best items to donate to The Blue Base. He then dropped them off at the hub on Salop Street as more than 150 users waited for their slots to shop across the stalls, supported by donations from organisations such as Fans Supporting Foodbanks and FareShare.
The Blue Base Pantry was set up by Everton in the Community in June to help those living in L4 amid the cost of living crisis. For a token fee, members can shop for food and toiletries with a retail value far in excess of their contributions. In just six months, 8,000 people have benefitted from the weekly programme, laid out like a traditional market and run from Everton in the Community's vibrant hub. Also supported by St Andrew's Community Network, it is part of the national Your Local Pantry scheme - of which it is the fourth largest in the country.
Gordon has excelled on the pitch during the World Cup break - scoring the winning penalty against Celtic then a hat-trick against Western Sydney Wanderers in the Sydney Super Cup last month. He then went to Dubai for a personal training regime as he prepares to help lead Everton's charge when the Premier League returns on Boxing Day. On his day off on Thursday he chose to be at the market though - and helped out on the veg stall, joking with those shopping, whether they were Reds or Blues. The England Under-21 international also posed for pictures, signed autographs and recorded video messages for those who asked. It is common for Gordon to be among the last to leave fan events and that theme continued at the market - everyone who wanted to speak to him got the opportunity.
Gordon said: "It’s really special to be a part of it and spend time with the incredible people who work here and those who give up time out of their own day to help others as that’s what life is about. The atmosphere has really surprised me, it has really impressed me because I didn't expect it to be so light-hearted.
"I think the city is renowned for its people helping each other where they can. It's a very family-like city so any opportunities like this you always know there will be tons of people getting involved and wanting to get in the mix with it. Hopefully it goes a long way."
A major feature of Thursday's activity at Everton in the Community's Blue Base is the food market, but that is simply the focal point for a variety of wrap-around support that includes advice and guidance on benefits, welfare and housing support, access to a registered GP and wellbeing activities. Senior programme manager for the charity, Adam Howard, said Gordon's support - which also included a donation to support activity across future weeks - was valuable.
He added: "It’s been great to welcome Anthony to our Blue Base Pantry and show him first hand what we are doing to support the L4 community during such difficult times. We are really appreciative of his substantial donation and it will go a long way to helping those in need over the next few months. He’s a local lad and understands the problems that people in this area face on a daily basis, but I think he was blown away by the light-hearted atmosphere and the way we’ve removed the stigma around people accessing a food pantry such as ours."
- For more details about the Blue Base Pantry, click here
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