Liam Payne donated a huge amount to help struggling families, it has emerged.
The former One Direction singer tragically fell to his death aged 31 last week, falling from the balcony of his third floor hotel room in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The star died after suffering multiple traumas leading to an "internal and external haemorrhage". Liam had previously spoken about using his platform to help others and this became more prominent during the coronavirus lockdown periods.
As the nation shut down, jobs were axed, people were placed on furlough and the future was bleak for many. Those visiting food banks reached an all time high as the economy gradually began to struggle. But Liam, who amassed a huge fortune as one fifth of the world's biggest band was keen to help as many people as he could, having come from a household where money was "tight" when he was growing up. Speaking previously, he said: "Money definitely put stress on the family in certain circumstances."
Despite being in the biggest band and recognisable to millions, Liam hadn't let fame get to him. Instead, he set out on a mission to help. Liam who had a longstanding relationship with The Trussell Trust was approached on social media by a fan who was volunteering at a food bank in Camden, North London, with director Dorothea Hackman paying tribute to Liam, branding him the "kindest, most sensitive young man."
Dorothea said: "He got in touch out of the blue and offered help. We desperately needed the money at the time. We were dealing with a massive increase in demand – because of lockdown people were desperate for food. He got in touch and asked what we did and what we needed. We told him about our work and he said, 'Right, I'm giving you £80,000.'"
Half of Liam's donation went to the Camden Town organisation Food For All and he also visited both the food bank located in Euston, as well as the Food For All's community kitchen to volunteer and get his hands stuck in. Dorothea went on to add that he "Really rolled his sleeves up." She said: "He carried crates, packed boxes and bags, he visited us, supported us and was always charming."
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Helena Aksentijevic)Image:
Getty Images for Atlantis The Royal)Speaking to the Camden New Journal, she said that everybody was "incredibly upset" by the news of his heartbreaking passing. She added that he "really understood his social obligations" as a young and successful musician and "stood up to be counted". Dorothea went on to say that Liam insisted on no publicity while he was volunteering as he was just there to help those less fortunate than himself.
Meanwhile, Food For All's director, Peter O'Grady added that he "saved the day" and offered the charity the biggest donation they had ever received and made no fuss about sharing his passion for helping others. Liam's huge donation meant that around 360,000 food parcels could be delivered to help those struggling amidst the financial strain of the pandemic.
Speaking previously to the Mirror about helping out at the food bank, Liam said: "I was told that in terms of people turning up to that specific food bank, it was almost double, if not more. It's terrible people need food banks anyway but now, it's getting worse and worse. The numbers are crazy and it's just disturbing to know how many people are without food in these circumstances. I hope enough people out there know about these food banks and can get down to them."
But he also carried out charity work under the radar. In October 2021, I discovered he was handing his own clothes (washed, of course) to a Depop seller for The Closets. In just a short amount of time, Liam's worn clothing had raised a huge £15,000 for The Trussell Trust and The Penrose Club. Liam also gave fans the chance to get their hands on clothes he had worn during his One Direction days while benefiting the two organisations.
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