LFC Foundation relaunched MOVE program

LFC Foundation relaunched MOVE program

The LFC Foundation MOVE program, initially starting out as a pilot project in 2018, relaunched in October 2021 with a new cohort of participants.

The program is funded by the PLPFA and Alder Hey Children’s Charity. The aim is to use the power of football and the LFC badge to appeal to young people with cystic fibrosis (CF), asthma and other endocrine disorders, encouraging them to take part in physical activity, not only to improve their quality of life, but to empower them to stay active throughout their lives and better manage their conditions.

On Thursday 21st July 2022, the English club welcomed its MOVE participants to Anfield, to celebrate their achievements over the past year, attending sessions with the club’s Health Team and improving their physical activity levels and overall health. 100% of participants said they had increased their physical activity levels which is an amazing testament to themselves but also the dedicated teams at Alder Hey & the LFC Foundation with the young people saying they felt ‘excited’ and ‘proud of themselves’ after completing each session. Between February 2021 and June 2022, together with Alder Hey, the MOVE program has supported 138 young people. 

“Our aim is that MOVE provides the opportunity for the young people referred by Alder Hey to exercise safely and improve their health conditions whilst also having fun.”(…)”The MOVE graduation event was a great success, and it was amazing to see so many participants meeting face to face for the first time due to a lot of our sessions being on a one-to-one basis or virtual.”(…)”It was great to celebrate the hard work and commitment that all the participants have put in through their time on the program. We hope to provide our participants with the opportunity to continue exercising and taking part in physical activity through signposting to different programs within the Foundation and in their local community.”

Nicola Regan, LFC Foundation Health Co-ordinator for MOVE

Alder Hey representatives, Sentil Senniappan (Endocrinologist Consultant), Kim Lund (Specialist Physiotherapist) and Ellie Clarke (Physician Associate), attended the graduation and shared their thoughts about the program.

“The MOVE program provides community-based support for children who benefit from additional activity due to their health needs. The flexibility of the program – offering online, 1:1 and group sessions- encourages inclusion and a sense of community within the young people who are involved in the program. The young people who participate always have positive feedback, even if it’s just having someone to build a rapport with initially.” (…)”Graduating from MOVE is a fantastic part of the program, with young people and their families being recognised for their hard work and engagement over the course of their input. It allows young people to meet others who have worked with the team, and hopefully gives them motivation to continue making the positive lifestyle changes they have worked towards.”

Kim Lund, Specialist Physiotherapist and Ellie Clarke, Physician Associate

“The course compliments the advice and support provided by the specialist teams (respiratory/endocrine) based at Alder Hey Children’s hospital in managing children’s health conditions (especially for those with asthma, cystic fibrosis and weight management issues). The activities are personalised to the young person, identifying activities they enjoy, helping them achieve their goals.”

Sentil Senniappan, Endocrinologist Consultant

Alongside the MOVE graduation, the Foundation recently celebrated the Community Awards which helped to champion those who uphold Liverpool FC’s values and ethos. Two of the club’s MOVE participants were nominated and winners of its Commitment category and Champion of the Year category. The commitment award was won by Mia McGrath for her consistent hard work in the MOVE sessions and commitment to continuing to improve her health condition.

Champion of the Year was won by our April Champion of the Month, Luis Barry for how much he has progressed in such a short amount of time. Luis is not only more aware of how physical activity has a positive effect on his asthma, but it’s also drastically improved his confidence and physical ability in school and home life. The LFC Foundation is hoping to continue to expand its MOVE program to allow for more referrals, in order to help more and more children and young people increase their fitness and physical activity.