CommunityReds ambassador Natasha Dowie helps deliver 2,000 Christmas hampers to local families

As part of the club’s annual Operation Christmas Magic campaign, Dowie was joined by fellow former Reds players Becky Easton and Chris Kirkland to help distribute the festive hampers ready for Christmas Day.

LFC staff and volunteers were on hand to sort the fresh food deliveries for local families in time for Christmas, with each hamper providing four days’ worth of fresh food for a family of four to enjoy, including a fresh turkey with all the trimmings for the perfect roast dinner, as well as a host of festive treats.

Throughout the week, volunteers from the Anfield team have been helping to pack the hampers before they were distributed throughout north Liverpool and Kirkby.

The hamper delivery is just one part of the Operation Christmas Magic campaign, which sees the club and LFC Foundation come together alongside supporters, partners and the wider community to support thousands of local people and families throughout the festive period.

The community Christmas campaign is now in its fifth year and has a special focus on children and food poverty, with a range of initiatives and events planned throughout December to help spread some Christmas magic in the community.

“It’s been really humbling to be here today and see all the work that has gone in to preparing these hampers and getting all 2,000 of them out to the local community in time for Christmas,” said Dowie.

“The whole LFC family is fantastic at coming together to help those in need and Operation Christmas Magic is another example of this at this special time of year.”

Forbes Duff, LFC Foundation’s head of community engagement, added: “We know the Christmas period can be incredibly tough for many families across the Liverpool City Region and food poverty continues to be a growing issue.

“We hope that these fresh food hampers go some way to making this festive period a little brighter for those in need and we are pleased we have been able to deliver over 2,000 hampers once again this year.”

Other Operation Christmas Magic activities that took place throughout December, delivered by LFC Foundation and its Red Neighbours team, included free Christmas community lunches at Anfield for more than 800 local people, festive foodbank collections at all home fixtures, support for Hits Radio’s ‘Cash for Kids Mission Christmas’ campaign and the annual visits from members of both the men’s and women’s teams to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.

There has also been a special carol service at Anfield and plenty of Christmas celebrations across LFC Foundation sessions for participants and their families.