Fans Supporting Foodbanks go cross-country this weekend in solidarity mission to deliver life-saving PPE to the nation’s key workers.

Five thousand life-saving visors made by Merseyside PPE Hub volunteers for doctors, nurses, paramedics, ambulance workers and care workers will be delivered by Liverpool-based Fans Supporting Foodbanks to sister organisations from Newcastle, Huddersfield, Leeds, Manchester and London for distribution across the country this weekend.

West Ham United fans’ foodbank group, Irons Supporting Foodbanks, will be receiving the London allocation of the 5000 visors for distribution to East London hospitals, our foodbank partners and other front line key workers.

Founder of Irons Supporting Foodbanks John Ratomski said: “We are pleased to receive the support of our friends at Fans Supporting Foodbanks and to be part of this generous national initiative.

“We’re presently working with local agencies regarding the distribution of our visors which should be accomplished during the coming week. This is a genuine good news story to lift the spirits at this difficult time and we thank Fans Supporting Foodbanks for including us in their allocation.”

Fans Supporting Foodbanks co-founder Ian Byrne says: “We are delighted once again to work with our comrades from Fans Supporting Foodbanks across the country, but this time supplying PPE to frontline workers created in solidarity from across Liverpool.

“Many thanks to LLT-PPE for pulling together the magnificent donation of 5000 visors to go to workers across the region who scandalously are being left short of PPE when working to protect our communities. This really is a true example of solidarity not charity between communities.”

Fans Supporting Foodbanks co-founder Dave Kelly added: “Fans Supporting Foodbanks have always promoted harmony and aimed to be inclusive, not exclusive. Our ethos is to adopt a collaborative approach with other fan groups and in life generally. So, when fan groups from various regions asked us how they could order PPE from our Merseyside PPE Hub partnership, it became clear that the demand for PPE is a national one and we felt it our duty to respond.

“I can’t think of a better example of working-class solidarity than our fan groups and working-class communities coming together in this way to keep the nation’s workers safe. This weekend’s solidarity mission by the Fans Supporting Foodbanks network to deliver and distribute vital PPE across the country is exactly what fan activism is all about.”

Irons Supporting Foodbanks can be contacted at ironsfoodbank@gmail.com for further information.