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Everton in the Community received the Freedom of the City - Liverpool’s highest civic honour - ahead of the Blues’ final home fixture of the season against Southampton on Saturday.

A delegation from Liverpool City Council presented the ground-breaking charity’s Executive Chair, Denise Barrett-Baxendale, with the accolade before kick-off in front of 40,000 fans.

Professor Barrett-Baxendale said: “It’s just overwhelming.

“It’s the most prestigious award we could receive from our city - and to receive it after 30 years of doing everything we can for the people of Merseyside in the name of Everton Football Club, here at Goodison Park, on the last home game of the season, doesn’t get better.

“But we can’t ever show any signs of slowing down. We have ambitious plans for the future which include aspirational plans for a mental health hub and a fantastic legacy programme for Goodison Park when we move to Bramley Moore dock.”

Mayor Joe Anderson said: “It’s one of the most prestigious awards the city can grant to any organisation.

“Using the Everton brand for an organiation like this is unique. It’s a unique accolade for a unique concept.

“I proposed it, Malcolm supported it and it was unanimously backed - cross party.

“Denise is a dynamo, a wonderful enthusiastic person but this institution pre-dates Denise. It’s a great concept, a great idea and it’s working better than ever today.”

EitC celebrated its 30th anniversary earlier this year and has spent three decades tackling key social issues to help some of the most vulnerable in the Merseyside region.

Only 69 organisations have been admitted to the Freedom Roll of Associations and Institutions since it began in 1962.

These include The King’s Regiment, Liverpool and Everton Football Clubs, National Museums Liverpool, Merseyside Army Cadet Force, Cancer Research UK, Cream and Bradbury Fields.

Recognised as one of the most progressive sporting charities in the world, EitC improves the lives of 20,000 people every year and supports more than 1,100 children through school sports programmes.

More than 1,000 residents have also been helped back into work thanks to their employment support.

Lord Mayor, Councillor Malcolm Kennedy, said: “Over the last three decades, Everton in the Community has made a massive difference to the local community and is rightly recognised as one of the UK’s top sporting charities.

“They are at the heart of so much in the Everton area, touching the lives of thousands of people every year. If you live in L4, the chances are that you will have benefited, directly or indirectly, from their work.”

Some of Everton in the Community’s key achievements have included:

* The charity’s Kicks programme has engaged with more than 7,000 young people in the past decade and, in 2017, reduced anti-social behaviour by 73 per cent and crime rates by 75 per cent in Merseyside during session times.

* Everton was the first football club to open a Free School to educate young people who have not adapted to mainstream education.

* EITC is committed to tackling mental health issues and works with 500 people weekly in the local community. They have also supported 300 children who were potentially at risk of suffering with mental health problems.

* The charity was the only Premier League representative invited by Pope Francis to the Vatican in 2016 to share its best practice at the Papal Conference for Sport in Humanity.

* Thanks to EITC’s work with the Royal British Legion in delivering ‘Knowsley Veterans’ Hub’, the lives of 400 veterans have been improved as a result of encouragement to take part in sport, training and social activities.

* EitC has delivered the National Citizen Service programme for a nearly five years, with more than 600 young people graduating from the government initiative. The summer of 2017 saw the young people raise over £11,000 for local charities and complete 28,620 hours of volunteering.

* Through its ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is campaign’, Everton reached a fundraising target of £244,000 to build a shelter for young homeless people in Liverpool.