Liverpool FC youngsters Lewis Koumas and Trey Nyoni made a surprise visit to Maghull High School, joining pupils for a special LFC Foundation Onside session aimed at building confidence, improving wellbeing and developing essential life skills.
The young Reds delighted pupils as they joined classroom activities, chatted with students and shared their experiences of school and football.
The visit formed part of the LFC Foundation’s ongoing work across the Liverpool City Region, using the power of football and the Liverpool FC badge to inspire young people and encourage positive change.
Reflecting on the importance of positive role models, Nyoni said:
“It’s always good to see the reaction of the kids. They probably see us as role models so for us to be here makes them happy and made them want to engage with the lesson and the teacher so that can only be a good thing.
“I think the LFC Foundation do a top job in supporting kids like this and them coming here for sessions like this makes the kids realise how important school is and it’s a good way to get them involved more and for them to enjoy school.”
Koumas highlighted how visits from players can encourage young people to engage more positively with their education.
He said:
“Things like this might help turn some of them around and make them want to come in to school a bit more and that’s always a nice feeling for us to be able to make a difference.”
Reflecting on his own school experiences, he continued:
“How I was in school is something I look back on now and regret and so if there is any way I can change the mentality of kids now to encourage them to be better and want to come in and keep improving then I will do that as it’s massively important.
“The work the LFC Foundation does is massive, they are all great at what they do and it’s top for the community and the city to have these people doing what they do and we are really grateful to have them.”
The Onside programme is one of several initiatives delivered by the LFC Foundation to support young people through education, personal development and wellbeing activities.
The scale of the charity’s work was highlighted in its latest impact report, which revealed that the LFC Foundation supported 239,421 people, representing a 65 per cent increase on the previous year.
This included more than 50,000 additional international participants, while the Foundation delivered 14,546 sessions and 629,104 hours of contact with participants across its programmes.
Its work also generated an estimated £54.2 million in healthcare savings, demonstrating the wider impact of its community initiatives.
Find out more about the LFC Foundation Onside programme
