We were sad to hear of the death of Frank Field, friend of The Hive and former Birkenhead MP at the age of 81.
Our CEO Jayne Wilson said: “Frank was instrumental in how The Hive came to be – a key supporter from the minute the idea for a Wirral youth zone was first put forward, helping to find a site for this incredible building and speaking up for the need for even more top-quality youth work for both Birkenhead and wider Wirral.
“And as a champion for those experiencing severe poverty both here in Birkenhead and far beyond, Frank was a longstanding voice on the issues facing so many of the young people we serve. Some of his experiences with us – such as packing food and toiletry hampers in our sports hall at Christmas time some years ago – fed into his work to bring the impact of the rising cost of living and policy decisions affecting families to national attention.
“As part of the youth work ecosystem on the Wirral, we’re proud to have been among the organisations deploying monies from Frank’s Feeding Birkenhead programme to support young people with food and activities when school’s out, which was the bedrock of the national holiday activity and food programme which continues to thrive today.”