Lou Macari made an MBE for helping homeless

Lou Macari has been recognised for his decade-long commitment to a homeless charity in Stoke-on-Trent by being made an MBE in the King's Birthday Honours.

The former Manchester United and Scotland star established the Macari Foundation in 2016 after recognising the scale of homelessness in the city.

He manage Stoke City FC in two spells between, making his home in the area.

Macari said: "I walk through Stoke these days and when people stop me they don't want to talk about football or the World Cup, they want to talk about the homeless situation."

He added: "At this stage of my life, and as an ex-footballer, this gives me great satisfaction. It's not about winning and losing.

"It's a complicated environment, and people recognise that you're doing your best, and that's all you can do."

Macari said his work started when he saw six people in a doorway on a cold winter's night and went over to speak to them.

"I told them I would try to help them. I went to the council, got the keys to a property they had repossessed, and quite simply that was the start of it all," he said.

"I had no idea where it was going to go from there. Hopefully this honour will help increase awareness because although we are still trying and having some success, none of us have found a way to get rid of the problem."

Macari's MBE also recognises his football career, which started at Celtic before he moved to Manchester United in 1973, famously scoring the deflected goal that beat Liverpool in the 1977 FA Cup final.

He also won 24 caps for Scotland before moving into management, leading the Potters to the Second Division title in 1993 and also having a brief spell back at Celtic.

Other residents of Staffordshire who have been recognised include Jamie Richards, the founder and chief executive of AED Donate.

The organisation helps communities across the UK fund, install, register and maintain public access defibrillators.

Richards, from Stone, has been made an MBE for services to sudden cardiac arrest awareness.

Nicola Twemlow from Stoke-on-Trent has also been made an MBE for services to philanthropy and to the community in the city.

Twemlow is the group chair of Made in Stoke and is also the chief executive of YMCA North Staffordshire.

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