
Everton have officially nominated the Liverpool-based charity Liverpool Unites, which campaigns to improve the lives of young people on Merseyside by inspiring them to break the cycle of crime and poverty, as its charitable partner for 2009/10.
To help officially launch the new partnership, Everton has teamed up with retail partner Kitbag Limited to introduce the special, limited edition Everton shirt designed to promote the association between the Club, the charity and its objectives.
The Liverpool Unites campaign was set up in response to the tragic murder of eleven-year-old Evertonian Rhys Jones who was shot in August 2007 and aims to convey to the wider world that Liverpool is a city that cares, and that its local population will not tolerate gun and knife crime.
Everton are aiming to raise in excess of £100,000 for Liverpool Unites before the end of the season. After reaching its initial goal of raising £100,000 for the Rhys Jones Memorial Fund, Liverpool Unites continues to raise money for this and other local charities and community groups across Merseyside that aim to positively engage children and young people, giving them hope and ambition to create a brighter future for themselves.
It has adopted a purple ribbon logo to show the unity between the red and blue sides of Liverpool on this issue.