Celtic FC Foundation, the charitable arm of Celtic Football Club, is delighted today to announce that it has made a £10,000 donation to Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity (GCHC), as part of its annual Christmas campaign.

Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity raises funds to support the babies, children and young people treated at Scotland’s busiest children’s hospital, which treats nearly 200,000 children each year.

The donation this year will help the hospital support over 500 families throughout Greater Glasgow & Clyde who are supported by our community health clinics this Christmas.

Many of these families will face significant financial, practical and emotional hardships throughout the festive period. The aim is to provide each patient with a high street gift voucher, enabling them to purchase a special gift this Christmas.

The Club will be sending their own Christmas gifts too and in the coming days, the Celtic first team will also be staging another fantastic virtual visit with the kids at the hospital.

Kirsten Watson, Chief Executive at Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, added:  ‘We sincerely thank Celtic for this very generous donation and are looking forward once again to our virtual visit from the club which will brighten up the days of young patients and their families in hospital this festive season.

‘This gift will make such a huge difference to children and families who will spend Christmas in hospital, and we are incredibly grateful to Celtic FC Foundation for their continued support.’

Celtic Acting Chief Executive, Michael Nicholson, said: “We are proud to have such a close relationship with Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity, something we have developed over many years of work together and we are really pleased to support such a great institution once again.

“Our Christmas campaign will once again have a major impact, assisting children in need, families, pensioners, the homeless and a range of charities and community groups, and will ultimately make such a positive difference to hundreds of people who are very deserving of our support. Our support of the hospital is a perfect example of this important work.

“We know this can be such a difficult time of year for so many people using the hospital and we send all our sincere best wishes to all the children, their families and all hospital staff this Christmas.”

Celtic captain Callum McGregor said: “We are delighted to present this donation to the hospital and help with the fantastic work which they do.

“We know Christmas time can be really tough for the children and their families at the hospital and we really look forward to seeing the kids on our virtual visit ahead of Christmas, a time which will also give us a chance to thank the staff at the hospital for all they do.

‘They make such a positive difference to the children and they deserve huge praise for their fantastic work throughout the year.’

“We wish all the children at the hospital and of course all the wonderful staff, a very Merry Christmas.’

Tony Hamilton, Chief Executive of Celtic FC Foundation, added: “It’s an honour to once again support the Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity through this donation. Our annual Christmas campaign is synonymous with our origins, by continuing to help those in our community who are most in need.

“We want to help hundreds of local families facing poverty, vulnerable pensioners, people dealing with homelessness and our partner charities such as GCHC, who are making such a positive difference to the lives of children. At this time of year in particular, it is crucial we remember those who face such challenges across all areas of society. We are delighted to continue our work in this area and make a positive difference to the lives of so many.”