Liverpool’s most inspirational stories of 2025

We all know the kindness and spirit of Scousers that makes everyone in the city proud, but there are some whose selflessness and big-heartedness goes beyond even that.

Throughout the last year we’ve seen people who’ve brought tears to our eyes, raised a smile or two -and made us all want to be better people.

Here are some of the amazing and inspirational stories that have touched our hearts this year…

We honoured Liverpool’s Heroes

There wasn’t a dry eye in the house when we launched our first ever Guide Liverpool Heroes awards at the Titanic Hotel in November. They marked 10 years of The Guide and celebrated the amazing people who make our city great, from the emergency services to organisations, charities and individuals. Among them, we honoured the Southport families for their courage and resilience since the attack, and their pledge to make lives better for others.

A HUGE Celebration Zoe’s Place

The city rallied into action raising more than £5m in 30 days when baby and children’s hospice Zoe’s Place was threatened with closure – and it came together again in July to celebrate its survival with a special concert at the M&S Bank Arena. Musicians, comedians and more took to the stage to mark its new future and thank those whose generosity meant it could go on giving hope and help to families.

Mark King received an OBE for his life-saving campaign

After the death of his 12-year-old son who suffered a cardiac arrest in 2012, Mark King made it his mission to prevent other tragedies and founded The Oliver King Foundation, raising awareness and money to install thousands of defibrillators in public spaces and train thousands in life-saving CPR techniques to ensure schools and organisations could respond to cardiac emergencies. His hard work and dedication, which continues with plans to set up an ECG testing centre, was rewarded with an OBE for services to charity in November.

St Helens farmer continued his Christmas trees for babies tradition

Farmer Richard Rainford continued his decades-old tradition of presenting babies born in the previous year with a free baby Christmas tree that could grow with them. He reckons there are now tens of thousands of trees flourishing as generations of families have planted their tree and he says: “It’s a way of marking a baby’s first Christmas and that’s something very special we can be a part of.”

Local coffee shop overwhelmed with queues following support plea

Guide Hero Anthony Grice was reluctant to admit his popular coffee shop FIKA in Woolton Road was facing closure – but when he posted a plea for help last month, the response was overwhelming with customers queuing to support him and pledges of help from all over the world. Anthony, who’s created a community hub within FIKA offering friendship and support as well as food and drink, said: “It’s been amazing.”

Food Cycle Volunteers serve up over 20,000 meals

In October, volunteers who turn surplus food into free community meals revealed they’ve dished up more than 21,000 dinners at FoodCycle projects in Dingle, Bootle and Old Swan, helping to tackle hunger, food waste – and loneliness. Among them was Jan Backstrom, a 63-year-old nan of two described as ‘one in a million’ who joined FoodCycle to combat her own loneliness and depression.

An outpouring of grief as LFC fans said goodbye to Jota

The tragic death of Diogo Jota and his brother Andre Silva in a car crash in July stunned and saddened the city, and LFC fans flocked to pay their respects. Outside Anfield they lay down a carpet of flowers and scarves for the respected players – Andre played for Liga Portugal 2 side Penafiel – and along with murals dedicated to them, books of condolences were filled with messages of sympathy.

Woolton Picture House reopened

Woolton Picture House reopened with a 12 Days of Christmas film line-up, part of a fundraising campaign to get the cinema back to its best and open again. Kevin Fearon has set up a Community Interest Company with partner Gill Miller to restore the much-loved cinema for the community. They need to raise £700,000 by May 2026 and with more than £142,000 in the pot so far, it’s going well.

Sisters launch Dare to be Different SEND fashion show

Linda and Melissa Clarke launched a first-of-its-kind SEND fashion show in Liverpool to shine a light on children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities. Organised with Iconic CIC in September, it was a ‘celebration of creativity, individuality and inclusion’ to show all those taking part that everyone can dream – and achieve. Melissa, whose son Jaxon, six, was born with Type 2 Kabuki Syndrome, said instead of highlighting the negative it would show the positive.

A Birkenhead gran tackled triple marathon challenge

Annette Jones had already run the Chester 10K and Half Marathon when she set out on her biggest challenge, the Chester Metric Marathon. The 56-year-old gran raised hundreds for Claire House so it could be ‘there for people like my family in their darkest times’.  The children’s hospice supported them when Annette’s granddaughter passed away at just 10 days old and is still helping them now.

The family who turned historic Wirral train station into café

After passing the former Hadlow Road Station in Willaston by chance, Sue Thomas discovered the Grade II listed former station master’s house was available to lease – and the idea for the popular Station Master’s House café and kitchen was born. The building’s been lovingly restored and the coffee house is co-owned by Sue’s daughter Emily and Emily’s dad Mark, while Sue runs the takeaway hatch.

Volunteer angels kept Birkenhead safe

Armed with everything from a first aid kit to phone chargers ready to offer support to anyone in need, a team of volunteer Street Angels rose to the task of helping to keep Birkenhead safe during the night and the early hours. The crew, dressed in purple tabards, said they were just ordinary people trying to make their town a better place to live in and enjoy.

Wirral PE teacher took on a 10k a day in bare feet

Phill Hayward raised thousands for the Alzheimer’s Society, running in rain, shine, snow, ice, and storms to complete the equivalent distance of Liverpool to Cairo. But of course that wasn’t enough for Phill, from Prenton, who decided that to make the 10K-a-day for a year challenge more interesting and worth supporting, he’d leave his trainers at home and do it all in his bare feet.

Heroic blind Liverpool veteran took on five peaks 

Army veteran Craig Lundberg lost his sight when he was hit by rocket-propelled grenades while serving in Iraq, but that hasn’t stopped the 39-year-old’s fighting spirit. Joined by nine-year-old son Max, he conquered the five peaks in Scotland, England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland in 5 days in July, raising more than £3,500 for city-based domestic abuse charity Centre 56.

Fans Supporting Foodbanks reflected on 10 years at Goodison

Dave Kelly said goodbye to 50 years as a season ticket holder at Goodison and marked a decade of helping to feed thousands of people across Merseyside. Dave and his fellow volunteers at Fans Supporting Foodbanks have gone from offering support from a wheelie bin outside the Winslow pub to being part of a huge operation that collects groceries at Goodison and Anfield supporting eight pantries across the city.

Musical medicine

Huyton-born Rachel Waite has appeared in Fame the Musical and acted as stand-in for Ginny Weasley in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now she’s using her talents to help spread happiness, health and wellbeing. Rachel set up Holistic Harmonies in 2018, and goes around hospitals, care homes and communities using music and dance to help people connect and enhance their physical and emotional health.

Alder Hey security guard treats patients

As security guard at Alder Hey for more than six years, Shaun Maudsley’s job is to look after the Liverpool children’s hospital as well as its staff and patients – but when he’s not patrolling its busy corridors, the kind-hearted dad of four creates drawings of young patients’ favourite comic heroes and characters, to cheer them up and keep them smiling.

Theatre family celebration and fundraiser for charities that saved superhero Fabian

When Fabian Morley was diagnosed with cancer in 2024, his loving family were devastated – so when this pint-sized warrior rang the bell thanks to the care and treatment he’d received, they wanted to thank everyone who’d helped him and them. Headed by theatre directors Jane and Chantelle Joseph – nan and auntie – they organised the Thunder Ball at the Hilton Hotel Liverpool, raising £34,000. 

Liverpool busker hit one million on TikTok

Who dares definitely wins! In a brave move, 20-year-old Liverpool singer Bethany Webster quit her job to become a busker and follow her music dream – and in just over a year she gained a huge following with more than a million likes on TikTok; secured regular gigs, and released her debut single, Worth It.

Blood Brothers super-fan

There aren’t many who don’t love Willy Russell’s tearjerking musical Blood Brothers, but Hanneke Krijt has got to be its biggest fan. Having seen it all over the UK the 49-year-old, who’s originally from the Netherlands but now lives in Liverpool, celebrated her 100^th performance at the Empire in March. Hanneke loves the way it connects with people and says ‘for me, this is the best’. 

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