AS we enter the Christmas Appeal phase of our Football for Good Fund (FFGF), Celtic FC Foundation are encouraging supporters to make a donation to cover the cost of a toy or gift for a sick or disadvantaged child this Christmas.

Although the festive period is generally a happy and joyful time for most of us, many face financial hardship and the inability to meet the demands of Christmas. And the crippling effects of the pandemic have only added unbearably to the pressures, with more and more people experiencing bleak times.

As part of last year’s Appeal, we were able to pass on over 400 brand new toys and gifts which were donated by each attendee at our 2019 Ghirls for Good event, as well as via an allocation from St James’s Place Wealth Management, Glasgow.

These were distributed by a host of wonderful partner organisations, who ensured that lots of Bhoys and Ghirls were the excited beneficiaries of a treasured Christmas gift. Heartbreakingly, for some, it would be the only one they received.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we will be unable to accept physical toy and gift donations this year. But we don’t want this to impact those children who desperately need our support.

Therefore, we are humbly requesting your assistance, via our Virtual Toy Drive, to help keep the magic of Christmas alive and ensure it’s a special one for so many deserving local children.

Supporters can donate whatever they can afford e.g. £10, £20, £30, etc. HERE and funds raised will be passed to our charity partners who provide support to sick and disadvantaged children, They will then carefully select specific toys and gifts for each child and these will be delivered before the sleigh bells ring on Christmas Eve.

The Virtual Toy Drive is part of our wider 2020 Christmas Appeal. Through the Appeal, we want to help hundreds of local families facing poverty, giving them the kind of Christmas most of us take for granted. With lots of food on the table and gifts for the kids.

We also want to support pensioners on our doorstep, by lending a hand at a difficult time of year. Local charities need our help too. We can make a massive difference to the lives of children, the homeless, refugees and those living in refuge or facing other challenges.

The generosity and compassion of the Celtic Family is truly unrivalled and once again, we are looking for your support, to get behind this Christmas Appeal phase of the FFGF.

We are a Club like no other, and together, we can continue to bring comfort to those who need it most.

To get behind the Christmas Appeal phase of the FFGF, you can:

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. Sign up for our Stay Up for the Champions sponsored event on Friday, December 4 / Saturday, December 5 – news coming soon!

9. Contribute via our Christmas Appeal eBay auction, featuring shirts from the AC Milan v Celtic match on Thursday, December 3 (with Celtic FC Foundation branding) and Celtic v St Johnstone on Sunday, December 6 (with Christmas Appeal branding). The auction will run from Monday, December 7 – Saturday, December 12.

10. Make a donation to receive your ‘Celtic FC Foundation Letter from Santa’– further details to follow.

11. Purchase your copy of the stunning Gerard Burns Glittering Prize, the perfect Christmas Gift HERE

12. Contribute via our Virtual Bucket Collection on Sunday, December 6.

13. Look out for news coming soon on our Ghirls for Good alternative.

Thank you for your magnificent support.

*Texts will cost the donation amount, plus one standard rate message.

Donate the cost of a toy or gift for a child this Christmas