AS our spotlight series continues, we highlight the partners who will benefit from your generosity through this year’s Christmas Appeal phase of Celtic FC Foundation’s Football for Good Fund (FFGF). Today we turn to our attention to the vital work of poverty relief charity, Loaves and Fishes.

For over 30 years, Loaves and Fishes has worked tirelessly to combat poverty across Greater Glasgow and Lanarkshire, initially operating as a soup kitchen feeding the homeless community from a van, before expanding to provide a regular feeding programme. Today, the organisation has turned its focus to ensuring those facing extreme poverty have access to food and essentials by developing into a foodbank service.

As a long-standing beneficiary of Celtic FC Foundation’s annual Christmas Appeal, Loaves and Fishes acts as a lifeline for some of society’s most vulnerable people. In contributing to our Appeals over the years, the Celtic support has played a huge part in helping Loaves and Fishes to reach those most in need.

Dominic Everett, Chair of Loaves and Fishes, said: “We are a community foodbank run by volunteers in East Kilbride which provides food aid to those who are most in need. Most weeks we provide over 100 food parcels to individuals and families who reach out to us. In recent months, we have seen these figures rise substantially due to financial pressures caused by changes to Universal Credit, increases in fuel costs and the inflationary impact on food prices.”

2020 was an extremely difficult year for Loaves and Fishes due to the demand created by the impact of the pandemic and this has sadly continued throughout 2021. With the added pressure of the festive period, those supported by the charity are struggling with day to day finances, while also trying to provide a special Christmas for their families.

Dominic added: “At Christmas, which is a time of hardship for many, the need for help can triple. We not only provide food, but try to ensure that each client receives a gift so that they can have some form of Christmas. These gifts include toys and games for children and young people and a personal care set for adults.”

Dominic and the team at Loaves and Fishes understand the importance of the support provided by the Celtic Family and have recognised the contributions over the years. He said: “In order to do the work we do, we rely on food donations and/or financial support from local benefactors like Celtic FC Foundation and we could not do this without you and your magnificent supporters.”

Staff from Loaves and Fishes joined us earlier this week to collect much needed toys and gifts which had been kindly donated by each amazing guest who attended our Ghirls for Good event last weekend. These will be passed on to children who are sick or disadvantaged well ahead of Christmas Eve. Heartbreakingly, for some, it may be the only gift they receive this festive period.

Loaves and Fishes joins Spirit Aid, the Salvation Army, Safe in Scotland, Glasgow City Mission, PEEK, St Roch’s FC Foundation, The Invisibles, Woman’s Aid in Dublin and Women’s Aid Belfast and Lisburn as the latest Appeal beneficiary to be confirmed.

Through the Appeal we want to give hundreds of families in our communities the Christmas they deserve, making sure there’s food on the table and gifts under the tree.

We also wish to help pensioners, women and children in refuge, the homeless community and refugees – as well as a whole host of others facing poverty and hardship.

Charity, and the generosity and compassion of the Celtic Family, will always be our past, present and future – it’s our heritage, our responsibility, our lifeblood.

Please join Celtic FC Foundation in making a difference this Christmas – it’s our reason for being.

The key ways to get behind the Christmas Appeal 2021, include:

1. Donate by text – text ‘CELTIC’ followed by ‘£1’, ‘£5’ or ‘£10’ to 70085*
2. Donate online HERE
3. Donate via PayPal HERE
4. Donate via Facebook HERE
5. Donate in Cash – there are collection boxes located in all Celtic Stores
6. Donate by Cheque – payable to ‘Celtic FC Foundation’ and sent to Celtic FC Foundation, Celtic Park, Glasgow G40 3RE.
7. Provide support through your Christmas shopping via Give as you Live and AmazonSmile HERE
8. Make a donation to receive your ‘Celtic FC Foundation Letter from Santa’ HERE
9. Purchase our brand new Foundation T-shirt HERE
10. Support our Light Up the Clover initiative on Thursday, December 9 or matchday bucket collection on Sunday, December 12 – to register as a volunteer collector, call 0141 551 4486 or email [email protected]
11. 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.