Footballer Trent Alexander Arnold has joined the huge list of household names chipping in to save a beloved children's hospice in his hometown.
The deadline to stop Zoe's Place, the hospice West Derby, Liverpool, from being forced to close its doors for good is fast-approaching, with only days left for fundraisers to hit the £6.4million target. England international Trent's donation comes as the JustGiving page set up to save the hospice stands at just under £6million.
The Liverpool FC player, who hails from West Derby, present at the Football For Change gala, an initiate he launched in 2021 with Jamie Carragher and Conor Coady which raises funds for young people living in poverty. This year's gala, which saw performances from Paloma Faith and legendary rock band Texas and raised £150,000, also made a sizeable donation to the Zoe's Place fundraiser as the clock ticks to save the hospice.
Zoe’s Place offers respite, palliative, and end-of-life care for babies and children up to the age of five, as well as emotional and practical support for their families. Ahead of the November 9 deadline to hit the seven-figure target, football icon Trent has donated around £20,000 to the emergency appeal to save the children's hospice
A source close to Trent said: ""The campaign to save Zoe's Place has pulled in support from people all over the country. Trent, as well as other famous faces, are rallying to save the centre. It means so much to people in Liverpool."
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Pr Handout/ Football for Change)Last month saw comedian unite for a comedy show fundraiser all in aid of raising money for Zoe's Place. John Bishop, Jason Manford, Love Island voiceover Iain Stirling and Russell Kane were among the line-up for the special gig the Hot Water Comedy Club at Blackstock Market. The event, which was also live-streamed globally on YouTube, raised over £81,000.
The hospice, which provides end-of-life and palliative care to babies and children, was set to close its doors for good after news broke on October 7. Heartbroken staff at the West Derby hospice were informed that the centre would be shutting down by year-end. The charity running the hospice had been fundraising for a new home, as their current lease in Yew Tree Lane is due to expire next year - but they admitted they had run out of time.
The announcement of the closure ignited a massive city and region-wide campaign, with a £5 million target set to be raised within just 30 days to save Zoe's Place in Liverpool. The campaign has seen individuals from all walks of life contributing to raise money for this beloved facility, including celebs like Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett, Claire Sweeney and Steven Gerrard.
The campaign received a significant boost last week when Home Bargains' owner TJ Morris pledged £2.5m to the cause, bringing the final total within reach. The overall fundraising goal stands at £6.4m, with £1.4m already raised before the campaign to raise an additional £5m began.
On Tuesday, the Liverpool Echo reported Ian Byrne, MP for Liverpool West Derby, had another round of 'very positive' discussions with the trustees of Zoe's Place about the future management and structure of the Liverpool-based hospice. With time running out, he's calling on the community to make one last push. Tthe MP said: "We now have five days to go to save Zoe's Place.
"We have seen unbelievable efforts from so many people in this campaign, it has been amazing to see, this has got us near to where we need to be. We just need everyone to keep going, straining every sinew because we are now so close to making the new Zoe's Place in Liverpool a reality."
To support the cause, click here to donate.
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