Coronavirus: Joe Cole makes £25,000 donation to charity offering meals and support to NHS staff

Several names from the football world are leading the calls for donations

Karl Matchett
Monday 23 March 2020 14:22 GMT
Comments
Coronavirus: What events have been cancelled?

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Former England international Joe Cole has donated £25,000 to a charity supporting NHS workers and urges others to give what they can.

The healthcare workers around Britain are coming under increasing workloads as the coronavirus pandemic continues and the charity benefitting from Cole’s contribution aims to supply meals, childcare and any other support NHS staff require.

More than just a current concern, Cole says this battle faced by many of the world’s population is the defining moment of an entire era and encourages everyone to act accordingly.

“I feel like this is a call of our generation,” he said.

“We need to stick together and these people who are doing what they are doing in hospitals up and down the country it is unbelievable.

“By donating or offering your business at some point, everything that can be given will be used on the frontline. If you can give, please (do) and just take a look.”

The former Chelsea, Liverpool and West Ham playmaker has become an ambassador for the charity as well as giving his donation.

Cole is the latest figure from the football world to offer support to NHS workers and he says the organisation, called Heroes, offers much-needed services.

“The men and women are really digging in for us at the moment in very, very difficult circumstances and what Heroes is, is a fundraiser primarily that will help deliver fresh meals to the workers after they finish their shifts or before they finish their shifts, help with childcare so they can stay at work, psychological help from experts being called into the field, all sorts of things that we the British public can help with.”

Wilf Zaha, Roman Abramovich and Andy Robertson are others who have made notable charitable donations or offered homes to hospital staff over the past couple of weeks.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in