Liam Payne secretly gave £80,000 to a London food poverty charity during the Covid lockdowns.
Liam Payne secretly gave £80,000 to a London food poverty charity during the Covid lockdowns
The tragic One Direction singer – who died on 16 October when he fell 45ft to the ground from the balcony of his third-floor suite at the CasaSur Hotel in Buenos Aires – had son Bear, seven, with his 41-year-old singer ex Cheryl, and made the donation after becoming so moved by the plight of the poor during the pandemic he quietly volunteered at a food bank.
The director of the Euston Food Bank, North West London, was quoted by the Daily Mail saying Liam – who had an estimated net worth of £50 million – gave away a chunk of his music fortune after he was messaged on social media by a volunteer who was a fan of One Direction about helping at the centre.
Dorothea Hackman added: “Liam Payne was the kindest, most sensitive young man I have ever met over an incredibly long period of time.
“He got in touch out of the blue and offered help. We desperately needed the money at the time.
“We were dealing with a massive increase in demand – because of lockdown people were desperate for food.
“He got in touch and asked what we did and what we needed. We told him about our work and he said, ‘Right, I’m giving you £80,000.’”
Half Liam’s donation went to the Camden Town charity Food for All, and the singer visited both the Euston food bank and Food For All's community kitchen where he volunteered.
Liam also supported the Trussell charity’s food banks.
The latest revelation about Liam’s kindness comes after it was reported he gave away £10,000 in one night of donating online to sick children, teens and young adults.
He is said to have been so moved by reading stories of stricken patients on GoFundMe pages he gave away the cash in a few hours.
A source told The Sun about his donations: “Liam had all this money and, yes, he had fancy things in life, but he also had a burning desire to use his money to do good.
“Even in the weeks leading up to his death – and when he was battling his own demons – he was helping others.
“He was really passionate about being a good person, especially when it came to children.
“He was like one of his idols George Michael in that respect.”
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