Andy Devaney
There are football matches, and then there are matchdays that remind you the game still has a pulse beyond the pitch. LFC Women and Cadbury are putting foodbanks at the heart of the club’s final home game of the season against Arsenal at Anfield on Saturday 16 May, with kick-off at 1pm.
It is a fixture with obvious sporting appeal. Liverpool versus Arsenal rarely needs extra seasoning. But this one comes with something more human attached: a call for supporters to back Fans Supporting Foodbanks, the fan-led initiative helping people across the Liverpool City Region who are facing hardship.
Rice, pasta, toiletries and nappies may not get the Kop roaring like a 30-yard screamer, but in the real world they can be every bit as important.
Cadbury And LFC Women Put Matchday Giving Centre Stage
The partnership between LFC Women and Cadbury is designed to shine a light on the ongoing work of Fans Supporting Foodbanks, known widely as FSF, and to encourage matchgoers to bring essential items to Anfield.
Cadbury has also committed to matching donations made across the full season, giving the campaign a proper bit of muscle rather than just a polite pat on the back.
For supporters heading to the Arsenal match, the ask is straightforward: bring what you can. Nobody is being asked to arrive with enough supplies to stock a small corner shop. One item still counts. One packet of pasta, one bag of rice, one pack of nappies, one toiletry item. Small gestures, when multiplied by thousands of fans, stop being small rather quickly.
Leanne Dixon’s Story Shows Why This Matters
At the centre of this campaign is Leanne Dixon, a long-standing LFC Women supporter and dedicated Fans Supporting Foodbanks volunteer.
Leanne has been involved with FSF for seven years and has played a key role in organising collections at LFC Women’s matchdays. She knows the issue not as a distant statistic, but as lived experience.
She said: “When I was a child, I was in the same position as some people. I was on free school meals and my parents needed to use the foodbanks, so I know what that’s like.
“We don’t expect everyone to bring a bag of food. If one fan brought one item of food or one toiletry item, it could go such a long way to help.”
That is the sort of quote that does not need polishing. It lands because it is honest. Food poverty is not some abstract policy debate when you have stood close enough to it to remember the smell of the school dinner hall and the weight it puts on a family.
LFC Women Players Surprise A Matchday Volunteer
To recognise Leanne’s commitment, Cadbury arranged a surprise visit from LFC Women players Gemma Bonner, Rachael Laws and Marie Höbinger.
The visit was not just a handshake and a quick photo before everyone dashed off to their next appointment. Leanne was treated to a private tour of Melwood, match tickets and a signed shirt in recognition of the work she has put into supporting FSF collections.
It was a fitting gesture for someone who has spent years helping others without demanding the spotlight. Volunteers like Leanne are often the quiet engines behind these campaigns. They arrive early, stay late, organise, collect, sort and carry. Not glamorous work, perhaps, but deeply necessary.
Anfield Finale Brings Football, Family And Community Together
The final home game of the season already has plenty going for it. LFC Women against Arsenal at Anfield is a serious stage, and the club is adding a broader matchday experience around it.
Pre-match entertainment will feature DJ Lauren Lo Sung, with family-friendly activities also planned. Supporters can expect a live Q&A with players, music from local artists and an appearance from Mighty Red.
That mix of football, music, families and community giving feels very Liverpool. There is the match, of course, but also the ritual around it: the walk to the ground, the noise building outside, the little ones craning their necks for a glimpse of a player, and now the chance to drop off something that may help another household get through the week.
What Supporters Can Donate
Fans attending the game are being encouraged to bring essential items for Fans Supporting Foodbanks.
The most useful donations include:
- Rice
- Pasta
- Toiletries
- Nappies
These are the basics that keep households going. Not luxury items. Not grand gestures. Just practical goods that make an immediate difference.
For anyone who has ever looked at a full supermarket trolley and winced at the total, the need is not hard to understand. Across the Liverpool City Region, foodbanks and community support services continue to face demand from people who are working, parenting, caring and still finding the sums do not stretch far enough.
A Strong Finish To The Season Off The Pitch
Football clubs often talk about community. Some do it well. Some say it because the marketing department has discovered a new font and a heartwarming hashtag.
This campaign has a firmer spine. LFC Women, Cadbury and Fans Supporting Foodbanks are using a major fixture at Anfield to turn attention into action. The timing helps. A final home game brings emotion, attendance and visibility. Arsenal provide the footballing theatre. FSF provides the reason to arrive with something more than a scarf and a prediction.
The beauty of this sort of initiative is its simplicity. No lecture. No guilt trip. Just a chance for fans to do something useful on their way into the ground.
Supporters can find full ticketing information through the LFC Women’s ticketing hub. For those already heading to Anfield on Saturday 16 May, the message is clear enough: enjoy the match, bring the noise, and if possible, bring one item for the foodbanks too.
Supporters can find full ticketing information through the LFC Women’s ticketing hub.