Last Saturday saw the launch of Celtic FC Foundation’s annual Christmas Appeal, as we ask you to Share the Magic of Celtic this festive season.
The Christmas period, although ordinarily a joyous time for most, is often one of the most difficult times of the year for those who are struggling financially. However, the ongoing cost of living crisis poses an even greater challenge this winter for so many.
Through the Appeal we will be aiming to assist a number of incredible beneficiary partner organisations who support families, pensioners, women and children in refuge, the homeless community and refugees – as well as a whole host of others facing poverty and hardship.
This year, our partners include four wonderful Women’s Aid charities – Glasgow Women’s Aid, Glasgow East Women’s Aid, Dublin Women’s Aid and Belfast & Lisburn Women’s Aid.
Each of these amazing organisations provide support and assistance to women and families who live or have lived with the traumatic effects of domestic abuse, striving to ensure they remain safe within their environments.
For those experiencing domestic abuse, Christmas can become a time of fear, uncertainty and isolation, rather than one of peace and joy. Through the support they provide, these Women’s Aid charities will be helping to make the festive period a more positive one for countless women and families, and your donations to this year’s Christmas Appeal will play a huge part in allowing them to do so.
These four organisations have benefitted from your generosity in the past and we heard from each of them on the challenges facing so many, the importance of the support received and their gratitude.
Fiona Davies of Glasgow Women’s Aid said: “Christmas is a very difficult time for our families. Women and children are spending their first Christmas away from home. They won’t have their normal friends and family around them and it can be a very scary and lonely time. Children also have lots of worries that Santa won’t come, as they are not at home and worry about how he will find them while living in refuge.
“Women have told us that the Christmas donations have allowed them to breath at Christmas. It has taken away stress and worry. The smiles, fun and excitement around the refuge at Christmas time is wonderful and is only made possible by donations such as this.”
Eavan Ward of Dublin Women’s Aid also highlighted difficulties faced by so many, saying: “The women we support have disclosed to us that they have been assaulted, hospitalised, degraded and called the most horrible names. Just because it is the festive season, it doesn’t mean that physical, emotional, sexual and economic abuse goes away.
“Women who are accessing our services also often have limited or no access to family finances. They tell us that their ex-partners may threaten to withhold finances and presents for the children, further adding to the stress at this time of year. We’d like to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped us support families in Dublin, it made such a difference.”
Kelly Andrews of Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid spoke of her gratitude for the support received saying: “Celtic FC Foundation have been incredibly generous to the women and children using our services over the past few years. You have given so many women and children who would have been struggling to make ends meet a fantastic Christmas in a warm house with food and gifts. Many women have burst into tears upon receiving the donation, unable to understand why someone they have never met has been so kind to them. The Foundation have really changed lives and enabled women get through the festive period while they continue on their journey of recovery. They will never forget your kindness and generosity. You help us to help them.”
Anne Smith of Glasgow East Women’s Aid also shared her thanks, adding: “It is very difficult to even put into words what donations from Celtic FC Foundation have done, they have changed the lives of people here at Glasgow East Women’s Aid. These donations quite often prevent women from having to go back to their homes because they’ve been helped to start a new life for themselves and their children. Celtic FC Foundation and its supporters are not just giving people gifts, they are saving people’s lives.”
You can hear more from Anne and Glasgow East Women’s Aid in our latest Appeal beneficiary VT and you can read more about the partner organisations which will benefit from your support via our Christmas Appeal webpage HERE.
The generosity and compassion of the Celtic support is truly unsurpassed and we simply cannot make a difference to the lives of so many without you.
Together, we can Share the Magic this Christmas.
To get behind this year’s Christmas Appeal, you can:
- Donate online HERE
- Donate via PayPal HERE
- Donate via Facebook HERE
- Donate by text – text ‘CELTIC’ followed by ‘£1’, ‘£5’ or ‘£10’ to 70085*
- Donate in Cash – there are collection boxes located in all Celtic Stores
- Donate by Cheque – payable to ‘Celtic FC Foundation’ and sent to Celtic FC Foundation, Celtic Park, Glasgow G40 3RE
- Provide support through your Christmas shopping in Celtic stores or online by purchasing an item from ‘Walfrid’s Wishlist’ HERE
- Provide support through your Christmas shopping via Give as you Live and AmazonSmile HERE
- Contribute via our Christmas Appeal Logo Shirt Auction which will be live until Sunday, November 13. Bid now HERE
- Donate to our Christmas Appeal Bucket Collection this Saturday, November 12. Full details HERE
- Sign up for the Celtic Sleep Out, Glasgow on Saturday, November 19 HERE
- Come along to the Ghirls for Good on Friday, November 25 HERE
- Sign up for the Celtic Sleep Out, Donegal on Saturday, December 3 HERE
- Sign up for the Santa Stroll 1 Mile or 5K on Saturday, December 10 HERE
- Sign up for the Celtic Sleep Out, London on Saturday, December 10 HERE
- Purchase our brand new T-shirt– further details to follow.
- Enter our new Christmas Appeal Prize Draw – further details to follow.
Thank you for your magnificent support.
*Texts will cost the donation amount, plus one standard rate message
