Last Friday night Everton hosted the first ever sleepout at the Hill Dickinson Stadium. This was the 9th in ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ Sleepout series and continues the very successful programme that is part of the Everton in the Community charity.
In 2015, former Everton Director and Under-23s Manager David Unsworth spearheaded a fundraising campaign to launch a dedicated program supporting local young people at risk of homelessness. David and his full Under-23s squad participated in the first
Sleepout event in 2016, and the subsequent editions until 2018, raising enough funds to purchase a four-bedroomed residential house. That summer, EitC established ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ (HIWTHI) using the funds.
On Friday night, Evertonian Mark Thomas participated in his second Sleepout after raising money last year at the final Sleepout at Goodison Park. Mark is the Area Manager for Prevention at Merseyside Fire and Rescue Services but is also a lifelong Evertonian who knows the importance of the Everton in the Community programme.
Mark saw the power of the programme first hand as he arrived with just a sleeping bag in hand. He spent the night lying on the cement floor of the massive south stand. Mark experienced some of the challenges that homeless youth face although he absolutely understands that the reality of homelessness is so much more difficult.
The night started with a moving presentation from former HIWTHI residents Zahraa and Moyaed, who shared how this important program has transformed their lives. EitC CEO Sue Gregory then thanked the 165 participants for giving up their time and raising funds for the organisation. Castore, the Club’s official kit supplier, who kindly donated training tops for all of the participants.
Most importantly, you can donate to EitC and support Mark’s efforts at this link:
Everton in the Community is the official charity of Everton Football Club. Established in 1988 as “The Community Programme,” it was created in response to the social and economic challenges faced in Liverpool and Merseyside.
Over time, the organization expanded in scope and impact. It started as a small team of part-time activity organizers and grew into a large staff, many volunteers, multiple sites, and several programs covering education, health, employment, and anti-social behaviour.
The programme was granted charitable status in 2003, becoming officially a charity and in 2012, Everton in the Community became the first Premier League-club-associated scheme to open a Free School (Everton Free School) to support young people, especially those for whom mainstream education wasn’t working.
The Everton Sleepout is just one of the many programs that EitC run all across the Merseyside area.
Our club is so well connected to the community and our support for Everton in the Community can go a long way to improving the lives of our most vulnerable community members.
Our sincere thanks to Mark for sharing his pictures and experiences with the site, and for all his fundraising efforts for the EitC.
