An incredible opportunity has arisen for one young person to join Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold, Everton stalwart Conor Coady and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carrgher on the Football For Change decision panel.

The chance is open for someone aged between 16 and 20 to take part in discussions and make decisions with the footballers about where £700,000 of funding will continue being distributed by the powerful new charity.

Carragher, co-chairman of Football For Change said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for a young person to join us on the panel to help decide and direct where Football For Change funding is spent in order to help other youngsters who are facing extreme social and economic challenges.”

Football For Change, which is also backed by a huge number of other football superstars including world-class talent Jude Bellingham and Lioness hero Beth Mead, was set up to give disadvantaged young people a fairer chance in life.

The initiative is bringing together sports stars and business leaders to help young people get into education or find employment opportunities, as well as helping others from challenged communities who face barriers unlocking their full potential.

Since being set up in May 2021, the FFC team has already sent 40 disadvantaged young people to the United States of America for a sports and education visit, is building an education hub in Bootle and it has also helped homeless youngsters back into work and accommodation in Glasgow.

Manchester United great Gary Neville, Everton star Toni Duggan, Tottenham striker Lucas Moura, plus pundits Gary Lineker and Micah Richards have also joined together to help launch the important social mobility project.

The football superstars helped raise more than £350,000 for Football For Change at a star-studded gala in Manchester this year after a headline performance from Oasis legend Noel Gallagher.

The gala at Emirates Old Trafford also saw celebrities including Melanie C perform for the charitable initiative. Guests included an array of big name footballers as well as TV personalities such as Vernon Kay, Jason Manford and Coleen Rooney.

Carragher, the co-chairman of Football for Change, spoke to the room about his ambitions for the charity and the pride he has in seeing the movement develop at a rapid pace.

Now, if you are aged between 16 to 20 and have a keen interest in helping to make a difference to the lives of disadvantaged young people across the UK with Football For Change then send your CV and a cover letter to Sarah@footballforchange.org.uk.

This opportunity will see one young person take part in discussions with Alexander-Arnold, Coady and Carragher, plus a number of business leaders including Atlanta Group CEO Ian Donaldson, ThisGeneration Communications director Daniel Hughes and Rae Brooks who is chief executive of the Communities Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside – the regulated charity arm that looks after all FFC funds.

Rae Brooks added: “Football For Change has already achieved so much but there is still a lot to do. 2023 is going to be a massive year for the initiative as it aims to raise £1million to help even more young people by providing opportunities in education, employment and training.”

Football For Change, which is being co-chaired by Mr Donaldson and headline sponsored by Swinton Insurance, is needed now more than ever due to the amount of disadvantaged young people who have seen any chance of a better life further torn from their grasp due to the effects of the cost-of-living crisis leading on from the Covid-19 pandemic which have decimated opportunities.

Sky Sports pundit Micah Richards has joined a number of football superstars in backing an initiative to give disadvantaged young people a fairer chance in life.

The former Man City star is supporting Football For Change, which is bringing together sports stars and business leaders to help young people get into education or find employment opportunities, as well as helping others from challenged communities who face barriers unlocking their full potential.

Etihad icon Richards explained that he believes that by working together with football stars, business leaders and leading PR firm ThisGeneration Communications (TGC), “we can improve the lives of young people in need.”

And the Premier League title winner has put his name to FFC, which is sponsored by Swinton Insurance, in a major effort to help opportunities arise for young people.

He said: “I’m delighted to support Football for Change who help continue delivering projects that are already supporting disadvantaged young people in our society to change their lives for the better.

“Football for Change is making a tangible difference and despite only launching in 2020, I am proud to lend my support to an initiative providing real change on a wide scale.

“I wholeheartedly believe that together, we can improve the lives of young people in need.

“With the everyday struggles young people face in disadvantaged areas, Football for Change is offering immediate and extensive support with opportunities in education and employment to ensure nobody is left behind.

“It is no coincidence major leaders in business and football are lending their support to this and I am happy to help continue spreading the message.

“The more lives we can change, the better.”

The charitable initiative, which is being chaired by Atlanta Group CEO Ian Donaldson, is needed now more than ever due to the amount of disadvantaged young people who have seen any chance of a better life further torn from their grasp due to the effects of the cost-of-living crisis leading on from the Covid-19 pandemic which have decimated opportunities.

Richards has joined fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher in supporting the initiative while the likes of Liverpool superstar Trent Alexander-Arnold, Borussia Dortmund hero Jude Bellingham and Lioness legend Beth Mead have all backed Football For Change too.

Manchester United great Gary Neville, Everton stars Conor Coady and Toni Duggan, plus pundit Gary Lineker and Tottenham striker Lucas Moura have also joined together to help launch the important social project.

The football superstars helped raise more than £350,000 for Football For Change at a star-studded gala in Manchester this year after a headline performance from Oasis legend Noel Gallagher.

The gala at Emirates Old Trafford also saw celebrities including Melanie C perform for the charitable initiative. Guests included an array of big name footballers as well as TV personalities such as Vernon Kay, Jason Manford and Coleen Rooney.

Carragher, the chairman of Football for Change, spoke to the room about his ambitions for the charity and the pride he has in seeing the movement develop at a rapid pace.

Football for Change has already sent 40 disadvantaged young people to the United States of America for a sports and education visit and is building an education hub in Bootle. It has also helped homeless youngsters back into work and accommodation in Glasgow.

Olly Murs was in Liverpool to celebrate the first round of Football for Change funding being distributed to help disadvantaged and underprivileged young people in the North West of England.

Popstar Murs volunteered his time after being invited by Jamie Carragher to help publicise the work of Football for Change since being launched by the Sky Sports pundit, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Conor Coady and Dominic Calvert-Lewin last year.

Carragher, the co-chairman of Football for Change, took part in a filming day with Alexander-Arnold, Coady, Anthony Gordon and Toni Duggan with Murs as host as funds begin to be allocated to worthy causes.

More than 40 disadvantaged young people were recently sent to Dallas, in the United States of America, for a life-changing educational and sporting retreat.

Murs met several members of the group to hear about the success of the trip and the opportunities they were afforded during their time in the USA.

Football for Change also committed to opening a new educational hub at The Brunswick Youth and Community Centre in Bootle for school leavers, who’ve grown up without opportunity, in the area.

Gordon, Coady and Duggan took time out of their busy schedules to meet the children who attend the centre on a weekly basis and will be directly assisted by the new hub.

Football for Change partners with the Communities Foundation for Lancashire and Merseyside who run the charitable fund and distribute the grants to initiatives supporting young people.

Football for Change also dedicates funds to Local Solutions to help homeless 16-21 year-olds return to work and housing through social initiative schemes.

While in the North West, Murs headed to Manchester to meet Gary Neville, who is backing Football for Change.

Neville said: “Young people need good role models and good influences, and Football for Change can offer that. The other two things they need is opportunity and belief. There is no negative to this initiative and what it is doing. It is all beneficial.

“Governments around the world can use their resources more effectively, just like Football for Change is doing.”

Rae Brooke, CEO of Communities Foundation For Lancashire and Merseyside and manager of The Football for Change fund, added: “Football for Change is becoming one of the most important charitable initiatives in the UK right now.

“The opening of a new educational hub in Bootle will be life-changing for young people in the area and to have football stars who the kids idolise here today shows how Football for Change is already making a difference.

“The players are passionate about making a difference and I believe this is just the beginning for Football for Change. It is going to change so many lives.”

Daniel Hughes, founder and director of ThisGeneration Communications, the PR firm who co-founded Football for Change alongside the football stars, said: “It is a momentous day for all of us as the first round of funding begins to make a real difference.

“Olly, Gary, Conor, Anthony and Toni all understand the magnitude of what Football for Change is achieving. They all volunteered their time because they know this is a charity which is quickly changing the lives of those less fortunate.

“We know there is a long way to go but to meet some of the children who were directly helped by Football for Change and the opportunities it provides was a proud day for us all.”

Football for Change, a social mobility charity, has raised more than £350,000 since its inception. Former Liverpool defender and Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher is co-chairman, while Sir Rod Stewart is patron, performing an exclusive set at the inaugural charity gala last year.

Football for Change is holding its second gala in Manchester in September, with Noel Gallagher the headline performer alongside Melanie C and Emeli Sande.

Vernon Kay is host while exclusive meet-and-greet prizes have been donated for auction by David Beckham, Liverpool, Manchester United, Manchester City, Formula 1 and Sky Sports.

The 2022 Football for Change gala is headline sponsored by Swinton Insurance with CEO of parent group Ardonagh Retail, Ian Donaldson, co-chairing the initiative with Carragher.

Watches of Switzerland, Enterprise, DAM Health, Together and Legacie Developments are also sponsoring the event.

British rock legend Noel Gallagher will perform a headline set in Manchester next month to help young people affected by poverty through charitable initiative Football for Change.

Noel and his band, High Flying Birds, will play a sensational set at the annual fundraising gala to an exclusive audience of footballers, celebrities and business leaders at the event on 22nd September.

The rocker joins host Vernon Kay as well as fellow performers Emeli Sandé and Melanie C at the gala evening sponsored by Swinton Insurance, while Liverpool football legend and Sky Sports presenter Jamie Carragher will be involved in a high profile Q&A with a sporting superstar on the night.

There will also be a major auction aiming to build on the £350,000 already raised by Football for Change, with exclusive prizes donated by Robbie Williams, Sir Rod Stewart, Manchester United, Manchester City and Formula 1.

Football for Change was launched by Jamie Carragher, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, and Conor Coady last year with leading PR firm ThisGeneration Communications. Sir Rod Stewart is the official patron.

A number of football stars including Jude Bellingham, Lionesses hero Beth Mead, Jack Harrison and Gary Neville are also involved.

Gary Lineker is an ambassador too, alongside Steven Gerrard and Brazilian international Lucas Moura.

Jamie Carragher said: “It is amazing to have Noel and his band supporting Football For Change by playing at our annual fundraising gala next month. He is a music icon and we’re all looking forward to it.

“This event follows our launch in 2021 which was attended by our patron Sir Rod Stewart. It is going to be a great night.”

Football for Change aims to lift young people from disadvantaged backgrounds out of poverty with life-changing opportunities in education and employment.

The inaugural Football for Change gala hosted in Liverpool last year raised £250,000, before a lunch event secured another £100,000 in March, with performances from Sir Rod Stewart and BRIT-nominated Tom Grennan.

Since then, Football for Change has sent over 40 disadvantaged children to the United States of America on sporting and educational retreats, with grants being distributed to organisations supporting youngsters in the most deprived areas of the country.

Dan Hughes, founder of the leading PR firm ThisGeneration, who launched the Football For Change initiative said: “Securing Noel Gallagher is a massive coup.

“This is a major homecoming for one of the world’s biggest music stars and his support will help improve the life chances of disadvantaged young people in the North West.”

The fundraising gala is being backed by headline corporate sponsor Swinton Insurance and organisations including DAM Health, Legacie Developments, Together Money, Heineken, Sedulo, MSG, Carpenters Group, Enterprise and Watches of Switzerland. MailOnline Sport is the official media partner for the 2022 event.

Vernon Kay will come together with Mel C and Emeli Sande in Manchester this year in aid of Football For Change.

Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold and his England teammate Conor Coady launched the social mobility movement initiative, co-chaired by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher and supported by Manchester United legend Gary Neville, last year.

A number of star football players like Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, Arsenal and Lionesses striker Beth Mead plus Tottenham talisman Lucas Moura have all got involved while legends of the game like Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and BT Sport pundit Gary Lineker have all thrown their weight behind Football For Change.

The charitable initiative works to lift young people from disadvantaged backgrounds out of poverty by providing life-changing opportunities in education and employment.

Global music icon Sir Rod Stewart is also a Football For Change patron, having attended its inaugural gala launch event in Liverpool last November which raised £250,000.

This year Football For Change, sponsored by Swinton Insurance and co-chaired by CEO Ian Donaldson, is set to bring a spectacular event to Manchester on September 22.

Mr Donaldson said: “It is in Manchester’s DNA to come together and help provide opportunities for those less fortunate. Businesses in the city have a fantastic chance to get involved with this initiative which is going to lend a hand to potentially the next generation of chief executives, directors and entrepreneurs by booking their place at the gala dinner.”

Hosted by TV favourite Vernon Kay, the gala dinner at Emirates Old Trafford will see songstress Emeli Sande entertain crowds with Spice Girl Mel C also taking to the stage while a Q&A will take place with two football superstars.

A major global icon is also set to headline the event, with organisers set to release full details around that next month.

Melanie C said: “I am really proud to give my support to Football For Change and I am looking forward to joining all of the players and everyone else involved on the night. This is going to be an incredibly special event and I am excited to be part of it.”

Football For Change will distribute grants to organisations supporting young people in the most deprived areas of the country, with a focus on helping them into education, employment and training.

Emeli Sande said: “Football For Change is an incredible initiative and so when I was asked to be part of this special event I immediately said yes. I am looking forward to performing and giving my support to the football players involved including Trent Alexander Arnold and Jamie Carragher. It is a really worthwhile cause and I am proud to be involved.”

Daniel Hughes, director of PR firm ThisGeneration and Football For Change organiser, added: “This is the biggest celebrity and red carpet event in the North West this year and we cannot wait to announce our superstar headliner.

“Everyone who attends the night will be in for a truly spectacular evening.”

Global music icon Sir Rod Stewart has been announced as the official patron for Football For Change.

The star has given his full backing to the social mobility initiative which was launched in 2020 by Trent Alexander-Arnold, Jamie Carragher, Conor Coady and a host of other football names.

“The power of football to break down barriers and bring people together is exemplified through Football For Change,” Sir Rod Stewart said.

“This initiative has united some of the world’s biggest football names, celebrities and business leaders into a unique and powerful collaboration to change lives.

“Everyone involved, including myself, are bound together by a collective goal to give young people from communities affected by poverty and deprivation, the chance to build brighter futures. I am proud to be its patron.

“Massive credit to Jamie Carragher, Conor Coady and Trent Alexander-Arnold for launching this. What fantastic role models.”

Football For Change has been backed by Aston Villa manager Steven Gerrard and a string of other big football names including Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, Tottenham striker Lucas Moura, Leeds United midfielder Jack Harrison, Everton talisman Dominic Calvert-Lewin plus Match Of The Day presenter Gary Lineker and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville.

In November last year, the charity held its inaugural gala dinner – attended by Sir Rod Stewart and a host of other stars including Pixie Lott – which raised £250,000 to support disadvantaged young people among our communities who face barriers unlocking their full potential. In March, hosted by presenter Alistair Campbell, the Football For Change Chairman’s Lunch raised a further £100,000 for the charity as BRIT-nominated Tom Grennan performed too.

Co-chair of the initiative Carragher said: “To have Sir Rod Stewart involved in Football For Change is absolutely incredible. He already does amazing work with the Celtic Foundation and I have no doubt that will only continue with our charity to support disadvantaged young people across the UK.

“I am honoured he is our patron. It will help us drive Football For Change to new levels and help even more youngsters who face serious barriers to unlocking their full potential.”

Sponsored by Swinton Insurance, Football For Change will distribute grants to organisations supporting young people in the most deprived areas of the country, with a focus on helping them into education, employment and training.

Swinton CEO and co-chair Ian Donaldson added: “What a privilege it is to have a legend like Sir Rod Stewart involved with our incredible charity, which is already doing phenomenal work with young people across the country – most recently having sent 40 young people for a life-changing and month-long educational and sports trip to Dallas, many of whom had never been out of their own communities before let alone the country.

“The music maestro that is Sir Rod, who entertained us spectacularly at our inaugural gala dinner in Liverpool last year, is an absolute star and genuinely wants to help these young people who need it most. We are all very grateful.”

Liverpool FC legends Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher reunited for a special fundraising lunch on Friday.The duo came together for the Football For Change charity event at the Hope Street Hotel in Liverpool and took part in a Q&A hosted by the broadcaster Alastair Campbell.

More than £100,000 was raised at the star-studded event which also included a performance by the BRIT-Award winning musician Tom Grennan. Liverpool legend, Alan Kennedy, who scored the winner for the Reds in the 1981 European Cup final against Real Madrid, was also in attendance at the event.

Football For Change was launched in 2020 by Carragher, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Conor Coady. It has since been backed by Gerrard and a string of other big football names including Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, Leeds United star Jack Harrisson, Everton’s Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Match Of The Day presenter, Gary Lineker. Global music icon Sir Rod Stewart is also a supporter of Football For Change having attended its inaugural gala launch event in Liverpool last November.

Business leaders including Swinton Insurance CEO Ian Donaldson and the influential public relations executive Dan Hughes were also involved in the launch.

Sponsored by Swinton Insurance, the charitable initiative is aiming to lift young people from disadvantaged backgrounds out of poverty by providing life-changing opportunities in education and employment.

On Friday, Football For Change announced it was funding a month-long sports and educational trip to Dallas for more than 60 young people from socially and economically challenged communities from across the North West.

Gerrard and Carragher spoke in detail about their respective playing careers at the lunch, and their different career paths after winning multiple trophies with Liverpool.

Steven Gerrard said: “I am immensely proud to be involved with Football For Change. This is such an important initiative and I know from growing up that for a lot of young people good opportunities are scarce.

“We’re aiming to change that and to give youngsters who’ve not necessarily had the best start in life a little bit of hope. For example, Football For Change funding the Dallas trip is fantastic and will give young people who need it the opportunity of a lifetime. More and more footballers and business leaders are getting involved with this initiative and I hope more do too. It will change lives for the better and make a real difference to young people who need a bit of support in life.”

Jamie Carragher said:  “This is just the beginning for Football For Change. Everyone involved is keen to help young people, who’ve not got the means, money or connections, to build better lives. Too many have seen opportunities taken away from them in recent years. We’ve got to level the playing field so they all have the same life chances.”

Ian Donaldson, CEO of Swinton Insurance and co-chair of Football For Change, added:  “The first Football For Change lunch has been an incredible success. I keep saying that Football For Change is unique because it is a powerful collaboration between business leaders and footballers which is something that has not been done before now. We can already see the difference it can make and we’ve got big plans for the future.”