The cash will be used to distribute food to vulnerable people in the north-east.
Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust (AFCCT) has been awarded £85,300 from the Scottish Government to support vulnerable families in the north-east.
The grant will be used to cover staffing, vehicle and PPE costs, and to purchase food which will be distributed among needy families in the region as part of the trust’s #StillStandingFree community campaign, run jointly with AFC.
It comes on the back of recent donations from the Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust Aberdeen Covid-19 Hardship Fund and Northsound’s Cash for Kids, totalling £35,000
In addition, over 800 Aberdeen FC supporters have donated over £40,000 to the trust’s JustGiving page set up to support the community through the coronavirus pandemic.
Liz Bowie, AFCCT chief executive, said: “This latest grant from the Scottish Government, via the SCVO administered Wellbeing Fund, is a major boost for the trust. Coupled with donations from the Lord Provost’s Trust and Cash for Kids, it underlines the awareness and success of our community campaign and the appreciation of the positive impact it is having on those most affected during this pandemic.
“Having only taken up the position of CEO at the trust a month before lockdown, I’m constantly blown away by the support for the trust among partners and stakeholders. The generosity of Dons’ fans, either through direct donations to our JustGiving page or through their purchase of season tickets, 10% of which is being match funded by AFC investors to the trust, is tremendous. I’m hoping that we can reach the £200,000 target in time for the trust’s birthday on 1 July.
“I’ve also had my eyes opened to the very real and distressing poverty gap that exists in our region and am passionate about continuing to work with the club to provide a vital lifeline to so many vulnerable families throughout this crisis and enhancing our programmes focused on education, mental health and wellbeing to help close that gap.”
