| Founded | 2015 (2015) |
|---|---|
| Founder | Ian Byrne Dave Kelly Robbie Daniels |
| Purpose | Reducing poverty andhunger in the United Kingdom through a system ofdemocratic socialism |
| Origins | Liverpool, England |
| Method | Food banks |
| Website | https://fanssupportingfoodbanks.co.uk |
Fans Supporting Foodbanks is a joint initiative between supporters of rival football clubsLiverpool F.C. andEverton F.C., founded in 2015 to tacklefood poverty inLiverpool. It provides a quarter of all food donations to north Liverpoolfood banks and has helped to develop a network of fan-driven food banks across the UK. It is an example of progressive football fan activism.
Fans Supporting Foodbanks is a partnership between Everton Supporters' Trust andSpirit of Shankly supporters' union. It was founded in 2015 by Liverpool fanIan Byrne and Everton fans Dave Kelly and Robbie Daniels in response to rising food poverty linked to the programme ofausterity implemented by the UK government from 2010.
Taking inspiration fromCeltic F.C. fan groupThe Green Brigade, Fans Supporting Foodbanks started collecting food donations in wheelie-bins outside pubs on matchdays. BothLiverpool andEverton football clubs have shown strong support for the initiative.[1] As well as holding collections at home games, Fans Supporting Foodbanks bring food to donate to rival fans' foodbanks during away fixtures, as a show of solidarity. The group's motto is: "Hunger doesn't wear club colours."[2]
In 2018, Liverpool F.C. chief executive,Peter Moore, donated a vehicle through his foundation. Fans Supporting Foodbanks’ purple van (a mix of the two clubs' colours) is used to transport food donations from across the city and can be found outside Anfield and Goodison on matchdays.[3] In August, Liverpool podcast and fanzineThe Anfield Wrap commissioned a mural of Liverpool F.C.'sTrent Alexander-Arnold, created by French graffiti artist Akse, dedicated to Fans Supporting Foodbanks. The mural can be found on Sybil Road near Anfield Stadium.[4]
Ahead of the 2019 general election, Fans Supporting Foodbanks co-founder Ian Byrne was selected as theLabour's candidate forLiverpool West Derby.[5] On 12 December 2019, Byrne was elected with 77.6% of the vote.[6]
In November 2020, Fans Supporting Foodbanks launched a mobile community food pantry.[7]
Fans Supporting Foodbanks consider their work as a response to football fan groups with links to thefar-right, such as theFootball Lads Alliance.[8] The group partners with religious and ethnic minority groups to organise joint collections and events with the aim of breaking down barriers between communities.[9][10] In 2018, Fans Supporting Foodbanks invited football fans to screenings ofWorld Cup games at the Abdullah Quilliam Mosque.[11]
JournalistAsh Sarkar wrote inThe Guardian:
"This endeavour shows that football doesn't have to be the domain of racists and Islamophobes, and that mosques aren't some culturally alien and terrifying enclave. By addressing the immediate economic conditions of the neighbourhoods around them, anti-racist activists can bring together seemingly opposed communities and close down the gaps where the far right are able to organise."[12]
During theCOVID-19 pandemic, Fans Supporting Foodbanks set up a new food distribution hub and co-ordinated efforts to producepersonal protective equipment for frontline NHS and care workers.[13]
When football matches were being played behind closed doors and the Premier League charged £14.95 to watch some matches on television, Fans Supporting Foodbanks encouraged supporters to boycott pay-per-view matches and donate the amount to foodbanks instead, raising over £100,000.[14] Pay-per-view was scrapped soon after.[15]
In December 2020, Ian Byrne and Fans Supporting Foodbanks launched a campaign for theRight to Food to be written into UK law.[16] In January 2021, Liverpool City Council unanimously voted to support the Right to Food being enshrined in law, making it the UK's first 'Right to Food' city.[17]