Liverpool Homeless Football Club is set to celebrate 20 years of supporting people affected by homelessness and social exclusion with its first Gala Dinner in Liverpool.

The charity will host the black-tie event at Sefton Palm House on Thursday, 8 October 2026, during the week of World Homeless Day.

Liverpool comedian John Bishop, a patron and long-standing supporter of Liverpool Homeless Football Club (LHFC), will make a special in-conversation appearance during the evening alongside a number of special guests.

The Gala Dinner will bring together businesses, supporters and friends of the charity to celebrate two decades of its work across the city while raising funds to support its future.

‘More Than Just Football’

LHFC was founded 20 years ago around a simple idea – using football to give people experiencing homelessness somewhere positive to go and a community to become part of.

John Finnigan, now CEO of the charity, was one of its three founding members.

At the time, he was working in youth hostels and wanted to create a positive destination for the young men staying there, giving them somewhere to go, something to be part of and something to look forward to.

Over the following two decades, Liverpool Homeless Football Club has developed into a community centred around routine, belonging, confidence, friendship and support.

While football remains at the heart of the organisation, its work has always extended far beyond what happens on the pitch.

That message is being highlighted through the charity’s anniversary campaign, “More Than Just Football”.

John Finnigan said:

“When we started the club, it was really simple. We were working with lads in hostels and wanted to give them somewhere positive to go and something to look forward to.

“Football gave us that starting point.

“What we could never have imagined was what it would grow into. Twenty years later, men and women still come through the door for football, but they stay because of the friendships, the routine, the support and the feeling that they are part of something.

“That is what ‘More Than Just Football’ means to us.”

The Gala Dinner will celebrate the people and stories that have shaped LHFC over the past 20 years while raising money to enable the charity to continue supporting people affected by homelessness and social exclusion.

The anniversary comes as homelessness and rough sleeping remain major issues nationally, with increasing attention focused on finding long-term ways to support people away from homelessness.

LHFC believes support needs to extend beyond immediate crisis intervention, providing people with stability, trusted relationships, community and somewhere they know they can return to.

John Bishop to appear at anniversary event

Guests at Sefton Palm House will enjoy a three-course dinner, entertainment, fundraising activities and stories from throughout the club’s history.

One of the highlights will be an in-conversation appearance from John Bishop, giving guests the opportunity to hear from one of Liverpool’s best-known comedians and one of LHFC’s major supporters.

With capacity limited, Liverpool Homeless Football Club is inviting businesses, supporters and partners from across the city to support the anniversary event through table bookings and partnership opportunities.

John Finnigan added:

“This is a chance to celebrate what the club has achieved over the last 20 years, but it is also about making sure we can keep going.

“We want to raise the funds we need to continue providing that sense of belonging, purpose and support for the people who will need us next.”

For partnership opportunities, tables and further information, visit lhfcgala.com or contact flora@strawberrylemonadeevents.com.

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