CELTIC FC Foundation’s 2016 Christmas Appeal is now in full flow and we continue our spotlight series on this year’s beneficiaries, as we look at the vital work of Glasgow East Women’s Aid.

Operating in the north and east of the city, Glasgow East Women’s Aid (GEWA) provide holistic support for women and children living in traumatic home environments.

The organisation has been working for 25 years in Glasgow and Counsellor Anne Kelly said: “We support women, children and young people to recover from the effects of domestic abuse. It is all types of abuse – physical, emotional and sexual.”

Outlining the support provided by Celtic FC Foundation in the past and committed again through this year’s Christmas Appeal, she added: “Celtic FC Foundation have helped us to provide a good, safe Christmas for women and children who have been to hell and back. It may be the first Christmas that they have left a home and the level of grief and loss can be phenomenal.

“But they can get together in an atmosphere of sociability, have a party for the children with gifts and a decent meal. All the things many of us take for granted.

“It’s about supplying people with a degree of normality at an important time of the year. People associate Christmas with family and these women and children can share in that without fear. We try to instil self-worth and self-esteem in broken people.”

Anne emphasised the importance and value of Celtic FC Foundation’s input, adding: “This is not just about people having limited gifts or limited food. The benefits of the Foundation and the support of fans could be the catalyst for people staying safe instead of going back to a violent situation.

 “It would be a very different Christmas for the people we work with, without Celtic FC Foundation and their supporters and I can’t thank them enough.”

GEWA is just one of the charities we will be supporting through this year’s Christmas Appeal and those confirmed so far include Loaves and Fishes, Glasgow City Mission, the Scottish Refugee Council and the Wayside Centre.

In addition, we want to help at least 250 local families facing poverty, to provide a meal on the table and gifts for the kids. We want to bring the magic of Christmas to those homes. We are also looking to help vulnerable local pensioners to ease the financial burden at a challenging time of year.

For the first time, we are proud to confirm a development of the Christmas Appeal in 2016 as we look to support charities in London, Newcastle, Dublin, Belfast, Oban, Greenock, Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Fife and Ayrshire.

The generosity and compassion of the Celtic Family is unsurpassed, and Celtic FC Foundation is requesting your support once again for an initiative which proudly follows in the footsteps of Brother Walfrid, providing comfort to those who need it most.

So together, let’s raise more than the roof this Christmas. You can get behind the Appeal in the following ways:

– Donate by Text – text ‘CELT07’ followed by ‘£1’, ‘£5’ or ‘£10’ to 70070

– Donate Online – www.celticfcfoundation.com

– Donate via Paypal – www.celticfcfoundation.com

– 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.

– Support our matchday bucket collection on Saturday, December 17 – to register as a volunteer collector, call 0141 551 4321 or email [email protected]

– Give as you Live via your Christmas Shopping – www.celticfcfoundation.com

Thank you for your wonderful support.