A range of charities benefited from fundraising activities such as the Celtic sleep-out and matchday bucket collections
Celtic FC’s annual Christmas appeal has raised an incredible £230,000 for the most vulnerable in society.
A range of charities benefited from fundraising activities such as the Celtic sleep-out and matchday bucket collections.
Local families with children were given £87,000, local OAPs got £5k, children’s charities £50k, women’s aid charities £11k and homeless, refugees, other vulnerable groups got £77k.
Charities that benefited included the Simon Community, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, Glasgow East Women’s Aid and the Scottish Refugee Council.
Foodbanks and homeless night shelters were also recipients.
Denis Curran, of the East Kilbride-based Loaves and Fishes foodbank, said: “We’re absolutely over the moon that we will once again benefit from Celtic FC Foundation’s Christmas Appeal.
“Without the foundation’s help, we would not be able to meet demands this Christmas. It really is a vital resource for us. We are anticipating that this will be our busiest Christmas period ever, as there are so many families out there struggling to feed themselves.”
Esther Muchena of the Scottish Refugee Council said: “We want to make Christmas a time of joy for the families and children we work with. The donation received from Celtic FC Foundation will go a long way to ensuring that they have a wonderful time this Christmas.”
Jane Maguire, head of fundraising and events at the Celtic FC Foundation said: “Our annual appeal reflects the very heart of the club’s charitable and humble beginnings. It proudly follows in the footsteps of Brother Walfrid, providing comfort to those who need it most.
“We aimed to help a host of local families facing poverty, to provide a meal on the table and gifts for the kids. We wanted to bring normality and the magic of Christmas to those homes.
"We were also looking to help vulnerable pensioners to ease the financial burden at a challenging time of year plus a number of other local charities who support those experiencing homelessness or other disadvantage, such as living in refuge or temporary accommodation or escaping a violent home life.
“These charities have been our partners for many years and we know them and their client bases and we value what they do in our communities.”
You can read the full fundraising report here.
