M L BUSINESS
PLAY GETS UNDERWAY AT LJLA
LIVERPOOL SPORTSWOMAN ’ S LUNCH 2022 RAISES MORE THAN £ 20K FOR MARIE CURIE
Liverpool John Lennon Airport welcomed its newest airline with the arrival from Reykjavik of the first flight by new Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY .
PLAY now link Liverpool direct to Reykjavik for the first time and also offer passengers seamless connections onto their USA destinations including Washington , Boston and New York .
To celebrate the airline ’ s first arrival at LJLA and the start of this latest new service , the Airport ’ s Fire and Rescue Service performed its traditional aircraft ‘ baptism ’ as the PLAY aircraft taxied towards the terminal building .
Flights now operate on Mondays and Fridays using the carrier ’ s fleet of brand-new 180-seat Airbus A320neos , one of the world ’ s most environmentally friendly aircraft which delivers 20 % fuel savings and CO2 reductions compared to previous Airbus aircraft . Flights can be booked at www . flyplay . com
On board the flight to Liverpool were a group of Icelandic Everton fans , taking advantage of the first direct flight to Liverpool from Reykjavik ahead of this weekend ’ s Everton match with Manchester United . As a special surprise Everton FC player Nathan Patterson came to the Airport to welcome the fans to Liverpool as they disembarked from the aircraft .
Paul Winfield , Director of Aviation Development for Liverpool John Lennon Airport , commented : “ We ’ re delighted to welcome PLAY to Liverpool and to add Reykjavik as the latest destination to the Airport ’ s expanding route network .
As well offering the region ’ s travellers an excellent low cost airline product to Iceland and on to New York , Washington and Boston , this will also be another important link for the region ’ s visitor economy too , making it easy for Icelanders and Americans wanting to visit the Liverpool City Region , the North West and North Wales to fly to Liverpool .
As an example , we ’ ve already seen a group of Icelandic Everton fans on the inaugural flight this morning , taking advantage of the first direct flights from Reykjavik to Liverpool and visit the City ahead of Everton ’ s game .”
The Liverpool Sportswoman ’ s Lunch 2022 , which took place at Anfield on Thursday 15th September , was a roaring success , raising £ 20,250 for its chosen charity , Marie Curie .
The sold-out event saw games , entertainment , raffles , and auctions led by Happy Radio presenter , Darren Proctor , and an inspiring talk from after-dinner speaker , former Liverpool and Everton goalkeeper and current sports commentator , Rachel Brown , who played for Liverpool FC from 1995 to 1998 , Everton from 2003 until 2014 and winning more than England 80 caps in her career .
Jen Corrigan , from Marie Curie , said : “ I want to say a massive thank you to the team behind Liverpool Sportswoman ’ s Lunch . It was such an incredible day and the total raised was absolutely amazing ! It costs £ 6,778 to run the Liverpool Hospice for a day meaning people with terminal illness can get the expert care and support they need in a friendly , welcoming place , so you can imagine how this money is really going to help . Thank you to LSL and all who donated . Your support really does mean the world .”
Event co-organiser Natalie Dye , from Bathgate Business Finance , said : “ It was great to see so many familiar faces come together to celebrate and support such an incredible charity . On the day we were honoured to hear directly from one of our co-organisers , Natalie Dickson from Brabners , whose family has been supported by Marie Curie and shared the true impact of the work it does . To have not only raised awareness about that work , but also £ 20,250 of funds that will help it to continue supporting people with terminal illnesses and their families is fantastic . On behalf of all the event organisers I want to thank our guests for the amazing generosity on the day .”
Originally founded and supported by Bathgate Business Finance , MSIF and DTM Legal in 2018 , the Liverpool Sportswoman ’ s Lunch now comprises a host of proud sponsors including Brabners LLP , NatWest Commercial , Bibby Financial Services and Flavell Wealth Management , Langtons Chartered Accountants & Business Advisors , Professional Liverpool , and Griffiths & Armour .
The Liverpool Sportswoman ’ s Lunch will return in 2023 . merseylife . com 71