The Ray of Hope Appeal was launched on 21st January 2008. It was the aim of the trustees to raise enough funds to purchase essential equipment and services for Ray Kennedy who is struggling with Parkinson’s Disease. As we have stated before Ray’s illness deprived him not only of his health but of his livelihood. He was robbed of the chance to make a living through the media or as a coach – a shame given that he has won everything in the game and would assumedly know more than a few people who occupy those roles today.

Ray Kennedy is essentially a private man who would not like to complain about his condition or the turn his life has made since his diagnosis. Liverpool and Arsenal fans who know him of old would not be surprised by this as Ray’s demeanour has always been that of a dignified and stoical man. The only downside of this is that he has shrunk from public view since his testimonial in 1991 which has left him forgotten by many. The Ray of Hope Appeal is therefore delighted that he and his magnificent ability has become a topic of conversation throughout the land again.

The trustees of the Appeal deliberately chose not to set a target for monies raised as we don’t see any figure as failure. We needn’t have worried. We have been astonished at the generous donations that have come in from all over the world. Only this week we’ve had emails from India and Japan from people who want to send their money and best wishes to Ray. So far the Appeal has raised £21,000. Added to that is a promise from the Professional Footballers Association that they will pay a figure of £5,000 to any work or purchases that Ray needs.

The Ray of Hope Appeal saw its official launch on 23rd February 2008 at the Paisley Suite at Anfield. Starsailor, Atomic Kitten’s Liz McClarnon and The Foundry provided the entertainment and Alan Kennedy told some of his hilarious stories from Ray’s time. We also invited two representatives from the Parkinson’s Disease Society along and, as part of our agreement, gave them a cheque for 10% of the fund – a sum of £945. Let us not forget that the Appeal plans to help ALL who suffer from Parkinson’s Disease, not just Ray. The night raised over £11,000 – something that could not have happened without the help of John Mackin, Kevin Sampson and Bob from Retro Reds. We would like to take this opportunity to thank them publicly.

While we’re in the thanking mood we would like to voice our appreciation from Irish Kop who raised £1,046 for the Appeal and brought over seventy people for the Anfield night. They also bought a vast amount of items that was kindly donated by Bob from Retro Reds at the auction. Thanks also to The Coleraine Branch held a quiz night in the Railway Arms with £400 raised for the Ray of Hope Appeal. There are more fundraising events to come. again in Coleraine on St Patrick’s Night. For Reds in Toronto there will be a fundraiser on the day of the Arsenal game. Contact [email protected] for details.

Talks have opened with Arsenal about what we can achieve from the upcoming game at the Emirates. We hope to appear on their TV channel and website before too long. We are also planning an Arsenal v Liverpool (friendly!) fan game to be played at the weekend of the Emirates match. Hopefully this will be followed by a fundraiser/raffle. We’ll keep you posted. The trustees are also organising a 92 club tour of the country and have written to every club asking for five minutes of their time for a photo and a piece of memorabilia that we can auction off. Again, the response has been excellent. More to come on this.

We had no idea that we would receive this level of coverage but, then again, people want to help Ray so maybe we shouldn’t have been so surprised. Brian Reade from the Daily Mirror got the ball rolling on this and has also invited us onto his radio show on City Talk FM. Since then we have appeared on both Liverpool FC’s official TV station and website, Talksport, the Liverpool Echo, The Daily Post and The Guardian.

The Ray of Hope Appeal has been in touch with Ray and his family and there are plans to organise a new bathroom for him soon. Thanks to the donations he will soon have the entire room renovated and built specifically for his needs.

The first forty days have been amazing but we don’t want to give the impression that we’re finished. The more money raised, the more comfortable we can make Ray’s life. There is a Paypal account set up for online donations – please pay all donations to [email protected]. Alternatively, please pay direct contributions to the Ray of Hope Appeal c/o HSBC account 21817299 - Sort-code 40-03-27. Paying direct or doing a bank transfer will avoid Paypal commission. Should you wish to make a donation by cheque then please make it payable to The Ray of Hope Appeal and send it to The Ray of Hope Appeal, 3 Cormorant Court, 18 Magpie Close, Colindale, London NW9 5DD. Please ensure you include an email address so we can thank you.

We’ve started well but we still need your donations.

Ray Kennedy was there for us when we needed him. Let’s help him now.

The Ray of Hope Appeal

Trustees: Karl Coppack, Andrew Campbell, Stephen Hinds, Matthew Anton, Robbie Ashcroft, Professor Andrew Lees MD, FRCP