Everton in the Community wins top award at North West Football Awards

Everton in the Community has been recognised at the North West Football Awards 2025, taking home the Premier League Community Initiative of the Season for its BEAT Breathlessness Hub.

The ceremony took place in Manchester in front of football legends, industry leaders and representatives from clubs across the region. Everton’s official charity fought off strong competition to take the award, thanks to the impact of its pioneering breathlessness screening hub based in the heart of Liverpool.

The BEAT Breathlessness Hub is the first community-based heart and lung screening service of its kind in England. Funded through unrestricted grant support from AstraZeneca, the hub offers full screening and rapid diagnosis for conditions including heart failure, COPD and other long-term respiratory and cardiovascular issues.

Crucially, the hub is located in one of the most socially deprived areas of the country – Liverpool 4. By placing advanced diagnostics directly in the community, the initiative removes barriers to healthcare, reaching people who may not otherwise access support. What previously could take up to six months is now completed within an hour.

During its pilot phase, more than 1,100 people were screened. The programme identified COPD in 12% of individuals, elevated blood pressure in 18% and heart failure in 3%, allowing early access to treatment and life-saving intervention.

The hub has already received national and international recognition. It has been showcased at NHS ConfedExpo, won Most Impactful Partnership in Preventative Healthcare at the HSJ Partnership Awards and its work has been published in the Journal of American Cardiology: Heart Failure.

Jonathan Jones, Everton in the Community’s Director of Adult Services, said:
“We’re thrilled to see the life-changing work of our BEAT Breathlessness Hub recognised. Our community-based approach is reaching people who might otherwise remain undiagnosed and improving health outcomes in Liverpool’s most vulnerable communities. This award is a testament to collaboration and what place-based health initiatives can achieve.”

Everton in the Community also acknowledged the support of Liverpool Centre for Cardiovascular Science, Pumping Marvellous Foundation, NHS University Hospitals of Liverpool Group, Roche Diagnostics UK & Ireland, Lumira-Dx and Us2.ai.

The charity was also shortlisted for Community Club of the Season. Everton in the Community supports more than 156,000 people each year across the Liverpool City Region, delivering more than 60 programmes in over 160 venues.

Now in its 18th year, the North West Football Awards celebrates the organisations and individuals making a difference across the game – from grassroots to the Premier League and the Women’s Super League.

More information about Everton in the Community can be found on their website.

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