Liam Payne kept a healthy gesture a secret amid the coronavirus pandemic that hit in 2020.
The One Direction star died suddenly at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last Wednesday, triggering an outpouring of grief and shock around the world.
Now it has been revealed how he donated £80,000 to food poverty campaigns in Camden and even volunteered.
Euston Food Bank director Dorothea Hackman has now paid tribute to the singer, saying he stepped in to help when they were most in need.
Liam had received a message on social media from a One Direction fan volunteer about help and he didn’t hesitate to respond.
Liam Payne kept a healthy gesture a secret amid the coronavirus pandemic that hit in 2020
The One Direction star died suddenly at the age of 31 after falling from the third floor of his hotel balcony in Buenos Aires last Wednesday, triggering an outpouring of grief and shock around the world.
Ms Hackman added: ‘Liam Payne was the kindest, most sensitive young man I ever met over an incredibly long period of time.’
‘He reached out out of the blue and offered help. We really needed the money at the time. We experienced a huge increase in demand – because of the lockdown, people were desperate for food.
“He got in touch and asked what we were doing and what we needed. We told him about our work and he said, ‘Okay, I’ll give you £80,000.’
Half of the donation went to Camden Town charity Food For All.
Liam visited both the Euston food bank and the Food For All community kitchen, where he volunteered.
It comes after anti-poverty charity Trussell revealed last week that Liam had supported their food banks since the Covid pandemic.
Liam had said he was happy to be able to play ‘my small part’ in donating hundreds of thousands of meals, and to get involved with the local food bank.
Trussell, who runs a network of 1,400 food bank locations across the UK, said he had been a “generous supporter” of her work over the past four years.
The organisation’s chief executive, Emma Revie, said in a tribute: ‘We are extremely saddened by the news of Liam Payne’s death.
Now it has been revealed how he donated £80,000 to food poverty campaigns in Camden and even volunteered
Euston Food Bank director Dorothea Hackman has now paid tribute to the singer, saying he stepped in to help when they were most in need
‘Over the past four years Liam has been a generous supporter of Trussell and our community of food banks, not only funding the provision of over 360,000 meals during Covid, but often joining us in calling for the solutions needed to put an end to the need for emergencies. food.
“We deeply appreciate the compassion and kindness he has always shown to those facing hunger and hardship. His death is a very tragic loss, and our thoughts are with his loved ones.”
In March 2020, Payne donated to the charity – then known as the Trussell Trust – to support more than 100 foodbank centers in Birmingham, Stoke-on-Trent, Coventry, Sheffield, Nottingham and Bristol, providing support to people in crisis.
At the time, the charity said the donation would allow them to establish a crisis fund for food banks to help recruit additional staff, hire vans or extra space, or, if necessary and available, purchase food.
Liam said in 2020: ‘It is not right that anyone in our country cannot afford food. Food banks do fantastic work to help the people who need support most.
“It is critical that we get support for these people now as this crisis unfolds.”
Referring to the passing of the pandemic, he said it would be necessary to assess why there was still a need for food banks.”
Liam added: “When we are on the other side of the situation, we need to look at why there are people in our country who don’t have enough money for food.
‘I want to do my part to find a solution to ensure people have enough money to buy their own food – and end the need for food banks.’
In April 2020, he wrote on his Facebook page that he was happy to play a “small role” in helping those in need.
The English star rose to fame as a member of the boy band One Direction, along with his former bandmates Harry Styles, Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Louis Tomlinson.
Alongside a photo of himself wearing a face mask and gloves as he helps out, he wrote: ‘I have recently made a personal, long-term commitment to support the The Trussell Trust and their vital work providing meals to people in need in the whole United Kingdom.
‘It was humbling to be involved with my local food bank yesterday and to meet some of the incredibly passionate people, like Carla, Dorothea and Helena, who are working tirelessly in these incredibly difficult times.
‘I’m happy that I can make my small contribution to working towards a future where no one needs a food bank.’
The English star rose to fame as a member of boy band One Direction, alongside his former bandmates Harry, 30, Niall Horan, 31, Zayn Malik, 31, and Louis Tomlinson, 32.
