THE co-founder of Liverpool’s Lily Centre today admitted she was “overwhelmed” after receiving a “significant” donation from Rafa Benitez.
The former Liverpool FC boss, who on Thursday gave £96,000 to the Hillsborough Family Support Group, yesterday helped another charity he holds close to his heart.
Though co-founder Peggy O’Brien would not disclose the amount on the cheque Benitez wrote, she revealed it would go a long way to helping the day-to-day running of The Lily Centre – a breast cancer support group – for a considerable time.
Mrs O’Brien said: “It was an absolutely fantastic gesture and we are all over the moon – it was completely overwhelming.
“We have known Rafa and [his wife] Montse for a long time but we did not expect this at all. You just do not expect people to give you money like that.
“Rafa and Montse have been good to us in the past and they did things that people would not know about, such as when he gave us Fernando Torres’ first Liverpool shirt for a raffle, which raised £4,900.
“But this just came completely out of the blue. We know they are moving on because Rafa has changed jobs, but we will keep in contact with them.”
Mrs O’Brien and Winnie Keating set up the Lily Centre, which is based in Silvester Street, Kirkdale, 11 years ago
They now have 750 female volunteers and two men helping them when they open every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Mrs O’Brien said: “This gesture will just help make things that bit easier for us and helps with the cost of running the centre.
“We do not get any government funding and we do not have any paid workers. Myself and Winnie both had breast cancer and we started this off from nothing.
“Everything is done on a volunteer basis and we cannot thank Rafa and Montse enough for helping us.
“They have supported us ever since they came to Liverpool in 2004 and there is no doubt they will remain our friends.”
