Everton in the Community have re-launched as the Everton Foundation in a bid to secure more external funding.

The charity, which is financially independent from the football club, implements sports-related activities in Liverpool and around Merseyside.

Chief executive Gary Townsend told BBC Radio Merseyside: "We are a registered charity, which the club sponsors.

"We are not actually the football club, people seem to think you have deep pockets and endless pots of cash."

Townsend is grateful for the support Everton Football Club offer the newly rebranded Everton Foundation.

He is keen to stress the name change is purely a way of trying to raise further funds to carry out the charity's work.

"We are trying to raise awareness that we are a charity and we need financial support and non-financial support to help us deliver our programme.

"That's really the main reason for the rebranding and the re-launch," said Towsend.

In order to carry out the charity's wide ranging remit, which includes a disability programme that has unearthed 25 footballers who have gone on to play for England, Townsend says the Everton Foundation need to be visible.

"The turnover for the charity for this year is the best part of £2m.

"We are a not-for-profit organisation so every single penny goes back into our programmes and we're looking to grow that to £3m and £4m in the next couple of years," added Townsend.

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