Liam Payne's philanthropic tribute to son Bear gets nod from charity

Liam Payne paid tribute to his son Bear with massive charity before the singer died at age 31.

The One Direction alum also got a nod from a charity organisation he supported, who released a statement on Thursday in Payne's honour.

Anti-poverty charity, Trussell, which runs a network of 1,400 food bank locations across the UK, said he had been a 'generous supporter' of its work for the past four years. 

"Over the last four years, Liam was a generous supporter of Trussell and our community of food banks, not only funding the provision of more than 360,000 meals during Covid but also often joining us in calling for the solutions required to end the need for emergency food," the organisation's chief executive, Emma Revie, said in a tribute.

However, it also emerged that Trussell wasn't the only charity platform he supported. In fact, days before Payne's tragic 40-feet fall from a hotel's balcony, the singer shared he was sending money to children who are battling cancer and victims of school shootings.

Payne also shared his motivation behind the philanthropic endeavour in a series of Snapchat videos, saying it was all because his son Bear, seven, inspired him and he couldn't bare to see any child suffering being a father himself.

In one video, the former boyband member said, "I've always felt lucky for the position I'm in."

"My life aspiration was to be a superhero but I can't fly, I'm not a great mechanic, I wasn't affected by radiation and I'm not incredibly strong."

"All I know is that there are websites out there to donate to sick children that need your help. It doesn't matter how small or how big the donation is, all that matters is you looking in that child's eyes."

He continued in another video, "As a father it hits me slightly differently because I look at them and if that was my child I'd want everyone in the world to look at me and help me."

"And so the last few nights, I've been spending some time on GoFundMe, a fantastic website."

The singer elaborated that he was topping up charities that were near the goal to make sure that small children received the help and care they needed.

"I've been going on night by night to finish off people's donations to make sure they get the operations they need."

"I can't not look at a sick child and not see Bear," the For You singer said, before tearing up as he compared his child to a four-year-old girl who needed several brain operations at just age four.

"I remember when my boy was four, he's just about learnt to walk without holding on to the sides of the thing."

The former One Direction star welcomed his seven-year-old son, Bear Grey, with his then-girlfriend Cheryl Cole in March 2017, before the couple split the following year.