Kip on the Kop raises more than £100,000 in third iconic LFC fundraiser

Kip on the Kop has raised more than £100,000 as more fans than ever signed up to sleep in the iconic stand at Anfield.

A staggering 400 people, including comedians John Bishop and Crissy Rock and ex-players Sammy Lee and Chris Kirkland, bedded down for the night in LFC’s stadium on Saturday to raise money to help tackle homelessness across the Liverpool City Region.

The amount raised in this its third year is almost as much as the increasingly popular fundraiser collected in the first two years together.

A spokesperson for LFC Foundation said:

“Over 1500 households are homeless in the Liverpool City Region with over 650 of those involving children, and LFC Foundation and Liverpool Homeless FC united to do their bit for the cause.”

Chris Kirkland has taken part in Kip on the Kop for every one of its three years

They added:

“It was a memorable evening for all who took part in the opportunity to spend a night on the Kop, gaining just a small insight into the challenges faced by individuals experiencing homelessness every night.”

John Bishop said ‘we smashed the Kip on the Kop 2025 target’, adding on Facebook:

“Kip on the Kop brings fans together to sleep out on the famous Kop at Anfield, raising money and awareness to fight homelessness. Every penny makes a difference – thank you to everyone who’s supported so far.”

Money raised goes towards supporting LFC Foundation’s Global Works programme which provides sport-based employability sessions and mentoring for young people who have experienced homelessness, and Liverpool Homeless FC, who formed an annual 5-a-side league that was founded for, and is accessed by, people who are affected by homelessness across the region.

The league is made up of 18 homelessness organisations that operate across Merseyside, with a focus on inclusion, fun and helping to move lives forward.

Former LFC goalkeeper and currently LFC Foundation community ambassador Chris Kirkland has taken part in Kip on the Kop every year so far and said:

“It was a brilliant night. I woke up shattered, and I didn’t sleep much because there was someone snoring like a rhino – but it’s not supposed to be comfortable, or fun, but about experiencing a fraction of what some people experience every night and raising money and awareness.

“You don’t need to drive a mile down the road without seeing someone on the streets, particularly when you go into Liverpool city centre where there are people in doorways, in tents, who are far less fortunate.

“I have lived in Liverpool now for 24 years since I signed in 2001, and to see these things in your own community and on your own doorstep is heartbreaking.

“So if I can help make a difference, I will, helping the charities that put these things on and the people behind the scenes who organise them.”

He added:

“For the last three years I have slept on the Kop at Anfield where I used to stand as a kid, as a seven or eight-year-old. You have your laughs, but the main thing is to get some perspective about what it’s heartbreakingly like for some people who have to do this all the time, without shelter, without a sleeping bag or a mat.

“It’s raised more than £100,000 now and is going towards programmes that help people, and get them back into jobs. I’ve seen the proof of the pudding, it works. We saw one person, Shane, on the night who was in a bad way, and has come through the programme at Liverpool Homeless FC and is now part the staff there, and the turn around is incredible.

“It’s proof that if you give people help and support, it works, and I just want to thank everyone who took part and fundraised for it.”

You can still donate to Kip on the Kop 2025 here.

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