Everton goalkeepers, Joao Virginia and Asmir Begovic paid the Goodison campus in L4 a visit to discover more about Everton in the Community’s support for neurodiverse young people.
The Blues pair visited the charity’s community campus located just 500 metres away from Goodison Park to take part in asession with participants on the charity’s 41 Goodison ‘Safe Hands’ programme, set up to support young people aged 10 to 16 who live with a variety of complex needs centred around neurodiverse conditions.
Delivered through the Steve Morgan Community Impact model, and supported by the Premier League and Professional Footballers’ Association, Safe Hands supports young people who struggle in mainstream environments and display Special Educational or neurodiverse needs.
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Blues duo Virginia and Begovic showcased their fast reflexes as they took part in an activity using Cosmos to encourage teamwork and communication, before taking part in Spikeball, designed to develop their coordination skills and a staple in goalkeeper training.
Toffees shot stopper, Asmir Begovic said: “I really enjoyed the game of Spikeball with the kids, I have to say. It’ssomething that we do in the goalkeeping world to warm up in training. It was just really nice to interact with all of the kids and make a difference. We see all the work that Everton in the Community is doing in the local community which is fantastic, and it’s just been a nice day to be a part of.
“I think the support here for neurodiverse young people is incredible. It gives them the chance to come here, have fun and interact with each other. Everton in the Community does a great job; the charity has been going for so many years and hopefully its work can continue for many years to come.”
Russell Greenop, Senior Targeted Support Worker at Everton in the Community, added: “Thanks to support from our funders, we have been able to establish the Safe Zone to support young people on the neurodiverse pathway and those on our Safe Hands programme.
“A lot of our participants have fallen through the mainstream education system, so at the Safe Zone we aim to rebuild their skills, self-esteem and confidence to prepare them to eventually go back into school or alternative provision. It was amazing to have Joao and Asmir with us today. We appreciate them giving up their free time to spend it with our young people, where they all created priceless memories.”
Most of the young people on Safe Hands are now able to interact, engage and communicate with adults and peers in a way which previous they were not able to do. The programme has even proved to be a stepping stone back into education for some participants, helping to support the 800+ ‘ghost children’ who are severely absent from school known to the local authority.
Safe Hands is one of over 60+ programmes and initiatives delivered by Everton in the Community which support tens of thousands of individuals from across the Liverpool City Region each year.
Everton in the Community is reaffirming its commitment to the area surrounding Goodison Park with a new campaign highlighting the charity’s present and future provision in Liverpool 4. ‘Forever’ will enforce the charity’s current presence in L4 whilst highlighting Everton Football Club’s commitment to the area through the life-saving work of its official charity.
Click here to find out more about forever.
