FAMILIAR FACES WILL BE OUTSIDE ST JAMES' PARK AS NEWCASTLE UNITED TAKE ON EVERTON 09:00, 25 May 2025 "I just want to thank everybody from the bottom of our hearts. - that would be

our first message." Those are the words of diehard Newcastle United fan, Bill Corcoran, who you will have most likely seen donating his spare time as part of the NUFC Fans Foodbank

before clashes at St James' Park. Bill and a team of committed volunteers will be outside the 52,000-seater ahead of the Champions League decider with Everton, as they are every home

game, collecting monetary and food donations as part of a wider, national 'Fans Supporting Foodbank' network. The work of the organisation, each and every day, makes life a little

the region are living in poverty. Meanwhile, figures from Trussell, the UK’s largest operator of food banks, show 129,011 emergency parcels were distributed in the region between April 2024

and March 2025, representing 31 per cent increase compared to the same period five years ago. After the Covid-19 pandemic, a cost of living crisis and uncertainty both on the continent and

across the pond, times are tough for the people of Newcastle. The generosity of those donating to the foodbank - before they enter St James' Park to watch their beloved Newcastle -

truly goes a long way. "Everybody - from the ownership, people like Jamie Reuben [Newcastle United co-owner] who matches the donations to the team, the reserves, the women's team,

the people who work in the club in the likes of the NUFC Foundation, to the fans, and by God the fans, you see it yourself, it's just utterly unbelievable," Corcoran told Chronicle

Live. "You can go in there in a bad mood and you spend two hours shaking the bucket and you're seeing the smiles and feeling the love from the people. It is just transformative.

"I think it's what we all saw on the trophy parade. We kind of see that every time Newcastle play at home; that feeling of unity and togetherness." Heading into the Everton

clash this weekend, the Fans Foodbank has raised a whopping £73,800 in donations so far this season - and expect to clear £75,000 by the end of the Bank Holiday weekend. Their final figure

will be matched by The Reuben Foundation after a personal pledge made by Newcastle co-owner, Jamie Reuben, after he began working in the St James' Park boardroom back in 2021.

"People are cynical and say 'oh, he's a rich man' - but he didn't have to do that. It makes a huge difference," Corcoran adds when discussing Rueben's

continued support. As well as providing much-needed food parcels to those in need, the Newcastle Foodbank recently opened a number of Community Pantries, based in Blakelaw Community Centre,

Tree Top Village Walker and the Newcastle United Foundation building. These sites allow users to pay a small amount for their food and support, believing it offers a sense of dignity for

those needing to access their services. More plans are in the works to expand the Foodbank's reach and matchday collections will continue when Premier League football returns next

season. Sam Fender's eagerly-anticipated trio of St James' Park performances next month will also see the Fans Foodbank dust off their stall and park themselves opposite Shearers

Bar for pre-concert donations. Article continues below Corcoran, however, is cautiously hopeful - and optimistic - that these donation drives will no longer be necessary in the years to

come. "I still wish we didn't have to collect before the match. I still think there will be a day when we don't, and we shouldn't have to," he adds. "If

anybody's watching from the government, they really shouldn't have to. They should sort this out. "But for the first time I'm seeing a bit of glimmerings of hope on the

horizon, and I hope I'm not wrong about that, but it looks like we're making the problem go down rather than see it get worse."