NewsGavin Laws to retire and step down as chair of LFC Foundation

Over the last 11 years, Gavin has been a driving force behind the success of LFC Foundation and has worked tirelessly and voluntarily, playing a key part in the incredible growth of the charity during that period.

Gavin’s LFC Foundation colleagues and partner organisations have produced a special video – which you can watch in full above – looking back and celebrating his time leading at the club’s official charity, overseeing its exceptional growth and allowing the foundation to continue to increase the number of people supported.

During Gavin’s tenure, LFC Foundation has raised a total of £44 million to fund its vital work in the community. Back in 2013, LFC Foundation ran just six separate programmes of activity and there are now 27 different programmes across six impact areas, with more than 675,000 contact hours every year.

The foundation’s work has also been recognised by winning many awards throughout Gavin’s tenure, most recently the Best Sports Community Scheme at the Sports Business Awards in 2023, and this year winning the Best Premier League Football Community Scheme at the Football Business Awards as it continues to deliver for those who need it most.

Speaking about his retirement, Gavin said: “I will miss it greatly, but the time is right for me to retire and a different voice leading this incredible charity. I’m immensely proud of the work LFC Foundation has done and continues to do on a daily basis.

“We’ve reached areas others haven’t and made a real difference by offering people meaningful support and aspiration to create a better life. I would like to pay great tribute to my fellow board members who have also given their time and expertise to driving the foundation forward and without whom we would not be the success we are today.

“My message is never forget what you do well, never forget that there are people out there who need your help and let’s find a way to get the funds in to make sure we can help people have a better life.”

Gavin’s first introduction to Liverpool started in 2009 while working for Standard Chartered Bank, and after it became the club’s official front of shirt sponsor the following year, Gavin was able to see first-hand both the potential and the need for LFC Foundation to grow further.

After retiring from Standard Chartered Bank in 2012, Gavin joined the LFC Foundation board of trustees before becoming chair the following year. Since then, LFC Foundation has seen revenues grow from around £1 million per annum in 2013 to more than £7 million last year, with those funds going back into the community to help those who need it most.

Working alongside Matt Parish, CEO of LFC Foundation, he has helped to oversee impressive growth in recent years, which saw more than 123,000 people supported in the last 12 months alone, and in the last three years the foundation has delivered more than £65 million in health benefits and contributed more than £16 million directly into the local economy.

Parish said: “Gavin has brought that desire, he wants us to be the best, but he’s always kept the most important thing at heart and that’s the participants of our programmes and making sure everything we do connects back to that.

“For me, he’s operated as a mentor, he’s given me and our team the scope to grow and be creative but he’s always been there to advise and guide.”

Mark McVeigh, founder of the Owen McVeigh Foundation in honour of his son, which is supported by LFC Foundation, added: “The Owen McVeigh Foundation is providing life-changing opportunities for children across the city who are suffering with cancer and the LFC Foundation have stepped up with that support to enable us to go out and do that work, and Gavin is a massive part of that.

“I’m just a dad who lost his son and needed a bit of help and support and from the beginning Gavin and the LFC Foundation offered us that, and without them we wouldn’t even be here and I’d love to say thank you to Gavin for that.”

Professor Lucy Bray, professor of child health literacy at Edge Hill University and member of the LFC Foundation advisory board, also paid tribute to Gavin, adding: “The LFC Foundation has grown under Gavin over the last 12 years from a foundation that was doing amazing work, to a charity that is leading the way.

“To have people tell you that their interaction with a particular service run by the LFC Foundation has saved their life is something that is really powerful and stays with you forever.”

Everyone at and associated with LFC Foundation would like to thank Gavin for his incredible work and wish him the very best for his retirement.

An announcement will be made in due course regarding the new chair of the LFC Foundation Board of Trustees.