Paul Lake joins Stockport homelessness charity EGG as patron

Stockport-based homelessness charity EGG, Engage, Grow, Go has announced a new, patron to bolster its resource in growing its capacity to support more homeless people into permanent housing and employment.

Ex-Manchester City star, Paul Lake, a compassionate and well-respected figure across the region, has joined the charity to further boost awareness of EGG and to help build on the charity’s already notable successes.

The charity, founded by its CEO, Jonathan Billings, just over two years ago, has supported a record number of clients in October 2024 bringing the total number of people supported over the past two years to more than 130 people into permanent housing and 75 into permanent employment.

Operating out of the Merseyway Innovation Centre in the town centre, EGG has recently added two additional colleagues to the team, with another joining in December 2024. As well as undertaking numerous successful fundraising campaigns with several local businesses and individual benefactors, the National Lottery has recently awarded the charity an additional £135,000 of financial support over the next two years.

Paul Lake, who played over 100 times for Manchester City between 1986 and 1996 was once famously touted as a future captain of England by Sir Bobby Robson, before injury curtailed his playing career in football. Since then, he has worked as a fully qualified physiotherapist and enjoyed many years at City in the Community – the charitable community division of Manchester City – before more recently training as a counsellor and working part-time for the Premier League.

Paul has also performed regular media duties as a well-respected commentator on the game.

Founder and CEO of EGG, Jonathan Billings, commented:

“We are truly delighted and honoured to have Paul joining us as a Patron at EGG to further boost our profile locally and continue to support the great momentum we have built over recent months.

“Through the charity’s work, we want to provide a more targeted, personalised and intensive support plan for our clients that will help them reach their potential and thrive within the community. Paul’s contribution in particular to attracting more volunteer mentor support and more potential employment partners will prove invaluable.”

New EGG patron, Paul Lake commented:

“It is an honour and a privilege to become a patron of EGG. I am hugely impressed with the work that the charity is doing to combat homelessness and to enable individuals to rebuild their lives. The organisation is generating so many success stories. However, there is still much more work to be done, and I will do my utmost to help raise awareness.”

Paul Lake joins EGG with immediate effect and will join Jonathan and the Board of Trustees Steve Oliver, Simon Rothwell and Rachel Coxon at monthly Trustee meetings going forward.