Liverpool team up with local church to feed vulnerable during lockdown

LONDON: Premier League leaders Liverpool are helping feed vulnerable and elderly people within the community during the novel coronavirus outbreak with the help of local church members.

A volunteer group from Christ Church in Anfield -- which is located opposite the club's Kop stand -- runs a foodbank and cooks meals for people on a Thursday as part of a service called "Scouse in the House."

Ingredients for the free two-course meal are provided by the European champions.

It includes 'scouse' -- a lamb or beef stew commonly eaten by sailors throughout northern Europe and popular in ports like Liverpool.

Food is usually consumed in the church hall but because of the lockdown in Britain due to the COVID-19 pandemic, volunteers have begun a takeaway service outside the stadium.

Liverpool's league rivals Chelsea are also helping vulnerable groups, with the London club announcing that they would begin providing 78,000 meals to the National Health Service (NHS) and charities that support the elderly.

Reported cases of the coronavirus crossed 2.07 million globally and more than 138,400 people have died, according to a Reuters tally as of 1400 GMT on Thursday.