Everton Football Club’s official charity, Everton in the Community, is helping veterans tackle loneliness, access support and find a renewed sense of purpose, with funding from the Veterans' Foundation®.
Through its Veterans Hub, the charity supports veterans from all three Armed Forces services and Merchant Navy personnel of all ages across the Liverpool City Region.
Regular activities, practical advice and opportunities to volunteer help create a sense of belonging that reaches far beyond football.
For veteran Kenneth ‘Ken’ Malam, attending a breakfast session became the start of a new chapter after struggling to find direction following military service.
“When I first came out of the forces, I really didn’t do anything,” he said.
“The Veterans’ programme gets people out there and they can talk and stay together.”
For Veterans Coordinator Loise Campbell, helping people build those connections has a personal significance.
Her father is a veteran and she grew up as a military child, bringing her own experience of Armed Forces family life to her role.
“I was born into the military, and that’s why I’m obviously in this area of work,” she explained.
“We’re so, so grateful for the Veterans' Foundation® because it allows us to do what we do.”
“Veterans do not have to support Everton to take part and whichever team they follow, they are welcome to access help, enjoy activities and meet others from the military community.”
For veterans aged 60 and over, a weekly group helps tackle social isolation and loneliness while providing opportunities to develop life skills.
A veterans’ health and wellbeing hub offers walks, workshops and trips out together.
Monthly breakfast gatherings can bring together around 40 veterans for a hot meal, quizzes and time with others.
“The biggest thing I’ve found is it really brings people together,” Loise continued.
Ken’s experience shows how a first visit can lead to lasting involvement. He served with the 1st Battalion, Kings Regiment from 1979 to 2003.
His military career took him to Cyprus, Berlin and Northern Ireland, and he was in Berlin when the wall came down in 1989.
Ken is a father of five, and his wife and three eldest children travelled with him throughout his service.
After leaving the forces, he struggled to find direction and described how people can feel they ‘disappear’ after military life.
Since joining Everton in the Community, Ken has become a committed volunteer, using his experience to help fellow veterans take part.
He completed MiDAS minibus driver training and now helps transport participants on off-site trips, giving them opportunities to visit new places, relax and spend time together.
“Ken embodies everything the Veterans provision is about,” said Loise.
“His passion for giving back to the veteran community has made a huge difference to those around him and he has become an integral part of the programme.”
His contribution earned him the Spirit of the Blues Volunteer of the Year award at Everton in the Community’s annual Blue Heart Awards.
The award was presented by David Moyes.
“I was happy just to have been nominated but to win it is a big thing,” Ken said.
He also took part in Everton’s tribute to the fallen at Hill Dickinson Stadium, describing the experience as his ‘proudest’ moment since leaving the military.
Alongside opportunities to connect and contribute, the Veterans Hub provides access to practical and wellbeing support.
At a weekly advice drop-in, Loise offers one-to-one help and referrals to other services.
The charity can also connect veterans with trainee clinical psychologists, an on-site GP and activities including yoga and walking football.
That combination gives people different ways to get involved, depending on their interests and needs, with further support available when they need it.
The charity also organises off-site visits and has run a summer programme for military children.
A veterans’ Christmas ball at HMS Eaglet brings people together for a three-course meal, music and an opportunity to dress up and celebrate.
Loise is clear about the importance of funding from the Veterans' Foundation® in making that occasion possible.
“Without the Veterans' Foundation®, we would have never been able to do that,” she said.
