Liverpool Unites
Liverpool Unites is the official charity of the Liverpool ECHO and the Liverpool Daily Post.
The charity began life as a campaign against guns and gun crime in the wake of the Rhys Jones tragedy and then spurred on by ECHO readers it became a charity, strongly symbolised by the purple ribbon of the campaign (the purple itself combines the red and blue of the city's two famous football clubs).
Liverpool is a unique city; the people of this region pull together like nowhere else in the world. Once Rhys Jones died, the people demonstrated a spirit that forged them together and showed that we stand together in the face of adversity and such negative national news coverage.
This was most evident at Anfield when Liverpool fans showed such support to the Jones family (renowned Everton fans) whilst the famous Everton Z-cars anthem sounded around the stadium.
Red and blue was uniting for the greater good of those in this city. Harnessed by the Liverpool ECHO, Liverpool Unites was formed to show that by uniting together we can achieve a brighter future.
The city's red and blue were combined into a rich purple colour, which is central to the campaign. People began wearing purple ribbons to show their support. Over 150,000 were distributed free of charge in a week and worn with pride.
The campaign achieved prominent coverage in national newspapers including a front page presence on the Daily Mirror plus local and national TV, radio and internet news coverage (Granada, ITV, Sky, local and regional radio) The campaign has been backed by a huge number of high profile figures from both the region and the UK, including the Prime Minister Gordon Brown (pictured wearing his purple ribbon), Liverpool and Everton football teams, plus individuals including the Premiere League team captains and managers, prominent celebrities, Bernard Hogan Howe(Liverpool Police chief), Terry Leahy (CEO Tesco) and Rhys Jones' Parents.
A further 100,000 ribbons were distributed to turn the city purple and ECHO readers were jamming the switchboard seeing how they could help and get involved. Some took it upon themselves to raise money and so Liverpool Unites the charity was born. Registered under the Charities Trust. (Registered charity no. 327489)
Liverpool Unites produced and sold thousands of wristbands, a further way for the people of Liverpool and surrounding areas to show their support. Tesco backed the campaign by encouraging staff to take paid time off the shop floor and become volunteers, actively selling the wristbands to their customers.
During the Merseyside Derby in October 2007, Liverpool Unites had a presence, with 6 of Rhys Jones's friends attending the game courtesy of the Liverpool ECHO.
They wore Liverpool Unites T-shirts and displayed banners pitch side during half time, with a red and blue standing ovation ringing in their ears, they stood as the players ran out for the second half with both clubs managers and coaching staff displayed their ribbons with pride. This achieved prominent coverage on national radio, Match of the Day and Sky Sports.
In August 2008 there was the Concert for Rhys at the Liverpool ECHO arena, where over 8,500 people came together to celebrate Rhys' life and to further spread the message that gun crime will not be tolerated on the streets of Merseyside. It was a fantastic night which saw performances from Melanie C, Tony Christie, Barbara Dickson, Stan Boardman and many more. The night raised over £60,000 for Liverpool Unites, and was covered by Granada News, BBC News and the Liverpool ECHO and Daily Post.
September 2008 played host to the Run for Rhys, a family fun run that was held in Croxteth Park. Over 650 people of all ages and abilities took part and a fantastic amount of sponsorship money was raised, over £20,000 in all.
During the Merseyside Derby on 27 September 2008, Liverpool Unites had a very strong presence. They announced that the £100,000 had been raised for the Rhys Jones Memorial Fund and presented it in the form of a giant cheque to Rhys Jones' parents. The Liverpool Unites mascot, Robbie the Ribbon, gave wristbands out to the crowd and 2000 purple balloons were released, each representing £50 raised. The events that took place were featured on Sky Sports, BBC, and ITV.
This is a very exciting time for Liverpool Unites as we now reach out and help many more children and young people across Merseyside. Liverpool Unites is continuing to raise money for the Rhys Jones Memorial Fund, but it will also support other local charities and community groups that aim to positively engage children and young people by inspiring them to break the cycle of crime and poverty, giving them hope, purpose and ambition for a brighter future.
Liverpool Unites has a strong calendar of fundraising activity planned for 2009. Look out for further information in the Liverpool ECHO and the Liverpool Daily Post.
For more information about Liverpool Unites, please click here
