THE wife of former Liverpool FC manager Rafa Benitez officially revealed her charity to the world.

At a VIP launch Montse Benitez said she classes Merseyside as her home and wanted to raise money for local charities in Liverpool and Wirral that need her help.

Supported by her husband, Montse, 44, who lives with her family in West Kirby, said the Montse Benitez Foundation would help a broad range of charities, helping to raise funds for them but also helping to raise their profile through the Foundation’s name.

She said: “Since I started talking about setting up a Foundation a question everyone was asking was why?, why a Foundation and why Merseyside.

“The answer was quite simple. I want to help people in my home. I didn’t need to go far away, abroad, to help because here in this town there are people who need our help.

“That is why I decided with Rafa to set up a Foundation to raise funds and then we’re going to give away funds to different charities and groups that help a wide range of people, children, elderly, disabled children, disabled adults, people with illness or problems in general.”

After achieving a PhD in human rights and humanitarian law at the university in Spain, Montse worked for the Red Cross in North Africa.

Her desire to help others has never faded and she said she appreciated the warmth and generosity shown to her and her husband since they came to Merseyside, which they view as home.

The Foundation is their way of giving something back.

Mrs Benitez revealed that a series of events organised by the Foundation would help raise funds which could then be distributed.

She said forthcoming events include An Audience with Rafa Benitez on October 16, a winter golf league, online auctions - selling off team shirts of top football players, ladies’ lunches but also a big black tie ball.

Merseyside police officers from Heswall are also doing a sponsored bike ride from London to Paris for the Foundation.

The Foundation will also be putting details of how to donate to the charity on Rafa Benitez website.

Mrs Benitez added: “We want small charities to grow. The way we are going to do it is to try to fundraise this money and give it away to charity but we also mean to give publicity to smaller charities and groups that cannot afford to advertising campaigns to let people know what they’re doing.

“So when we have a lunch or ball or golf day it will be in aid of one of the charities or groups and in turn giving them the publicity they need to be known by the public in that way they receive more donations from the public.”

Mrs Benitez said the Foundation came about because of the many letters her husband received from charities and groups needing help.

She said, as well as benefiting named charities, in the future groups will be able to apply for grants.

Rafa said it was a “big day” for the Foundation, not wanting to take the focus away from the launch, but he did reveal he would like to manage a Premier league team in the future.

He said: “You have to wait, analyse teams and be ready and if you have the opportunity, take it.”

He also said that he wants Liverpool to win in the derby game, saying: “It should be a fantastic game, very exciting and hopefully for me, Liverpool has to win but we’ll wait and see.”

The Lily Centre, based off Scotland Road in the city, which helps breast cancer patients is one of the charities named as a beneficiary of the Foundation.The centre is run by breast cancer survivors Winnie Keating and Peggy O’Brien.

Mrs Benitez came to the centre after her aunt was diagnosed with breast cancer and is one of the charity’s patrons.

Mrs O’Brien said: “The best thing that came to Liverpool is Montse and Rafa and we certainly hope they will be here for a long time to come.

The Lily Centre has been going for 12-and-half years, there’s no paid workers, we get no government funding and this is why Montse wants to be involved with us.”