The #PlayersTogether movement has been launched by Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson to help raise money for NHS charities during the coronavirus crisis and has raised £1m through the ‘Shirts for Heroes’ raffle.
An online raffle sponsored by eBay ran until June 14 and gave fans the chance to try on and win signed shirts donated by players at each club for £5 – a total of 500 shirts. .
Jordan Henderson started the #PlayersTogether movement
It was the biggest shirt giveaway in football history and fans bought digital raffle tickets in their thousands, raising £500,000. eBay donated a further £500,000 to achieve the total which will now be donated together to NHS Charities, representing over 200 member charities.
A collective statement from #PlayersTogether players read: “As players, we as a group have committed to help in any way we can and we started talking about how the pandemic would have affected us. How can we help?
“That’s why we set up #PlayersTogether to raise much-needed funds for frontline carers through NHS CharitiesTogether, and we’re delighted to have raised £1m with the charity raffle. It’s a player-led initiative. , who are working together across the clubs and we are delighted to team up with eBay to offer our signature shirts in the Shirts for Heroes campaign.
“We’re delighted that this was something that fans up and down the country could get involved in and help us raise more money to make a difference for the real heroes of this crisis.”
? Players are observing a moment of silence tonight for those who have lost their lives in the COVID-19 pandemic.
✊?✊?✊? Players kneel before kickoff to show support for the #BlackLivesMatter movement. #PlayersTogether pic.twitter.com/NLr48MBIDa
— Professional Footballers Association (@PFA) June 17, 2020
Ellie Orton, chief executive of NHS Charities Together, said: “These are incredibly difficult times, especially for those working on the frontline against Covid-19, but the NHS is on behalf of the British public. The outpouring of support for staff, volunteers and patients has been just right. Unbelievable
“We’re so grateful to #PlayersTogether for their support, and the £1M they’ve raised with the charity raffle. Sport is a fantastic way to bring people together, and we hope this raffle brings millions of feet. The ball has been a fun way for fans to gather around our NHS heroes while having the chance to win one of their fantastic signed shirts.
eBay UK raises around £26m a year for community charities and eBay UK vice president Rob Hattrell said the company was ‘delighted’ to reach the £1m overall target in the £500,000 ‘Shirts for Heroes’ raffle. .
For more from Jamie Spencer, follow her on Twitter and Facebook!