The LFC Foundation is hosting a range of free activities across the city region to encourage physical activities in children and families during the summer holidays.
The charity hosted an event yesterday which saw former Liverpool players Phil Thompson and Chris Kirkland, joined by Foundation CEO Matt Parish, get involved with the 80 children that attended the free football camp. The event is just one of a number of planned events taking place during the summer holidays.
Ex-Liverpool defender and three-time European Cup winner Phil Thompson told the ECHO about the importance of getting children out and about during the break from school. He said: "Some will either be going on or have been on holiday but some of them might not so it's giving them something else to do. The Big Red Summer is so important for kids.
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"Getting active and being active is so important because there are so many more options for them in terms of computers, sitting at home, playing on their games and phones. So being able to be out here and seeing them without mobile phones is just great.
"Exercise, getting them out here, communicating with each other and being active with each other is just wonderful."
Partnering with SC Johnson, the events include a range of activities such as football camps, Go Play events that include the whole family and inclusion events aimed at certain age groups with disabilities.
Ex-Liverpool and Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland told the ECHO: "They come here and get a packed lunch as well. The price of living these days is absurd and something needs to be done about it but unfortunately, it doesn't like it will be so it's down to organisations such as LFC Foundation. It's down to these big organisations to get together to offer free days like this, free food, free drinks for families that are really struggling."
Matt Parish, CEO of the LFC Foundation, spoke to the ECHO at the event yesterday. The Big Red Summer is this year promoting sustainability, with children being handed out re-useable water bottles when they attend, with the aim of handing out 7,500 water bottles to families.
He said: "About 90% of the activities we are doing are free entry. We're either self-funded or funded through our partners. You've got activities all over the city region this summer and to give young people the opportunity to get involved in sport is great.
"It's great for physical health and great for mental health. I think for kids from lower-income homes during the pandemic the access to physical activity has dropped but I think it's important that we try and fill that gap where we can, especially with schools not being open during the school holidays."
Events include a range of activities such as football camps, Go Play events that include the whole family and inclusion events aimed at certain age groups with disabilities.
To read more about the Big Red Summer, click here.
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