As Celtic FC Foundation’s annual Christmas Appeal begins to draw to a close, the support from the Celtic Family over the past six weeks has been truly phenomenal, as you have led the way in Lighting up Someone’s Christmas.

Throughout the Appeal, we always aim to assist vulnerable children, families, pensioners, women and children in refuge, the homeless community and refugees.

As well as supporting children and families, pensioners and other individuals directly, we also donate to a host of beneficiary charities.

Today, we turn our attention to those beneficiaries who assist families and children who are struggling, especially against the harrowing backdrop of the continued cost of living crisis. We heard from some of these organisations on the importance of the support received.

Lesley Davidson, from Loaves and Fishes, said: “Christmas is a challenge for so many small, independent charities like ourselves. We face rising numbers and reduced donations.

"We are currently feeding 600 people every week. Each year, Celtic FC Foundation provide a lifeline to us. Without your support we simply couldn’t cope with the pressures we face. We give people full tummies, warm hearts and clear heads. The Celtic support allows us to give the time, love and joy of Christmas that we otherwise could not.”

Patrick Rolink of Spirit Aid also expressed his gratitude, saying: “Every penny given to Spirit Aid from Celtic FC Foundation has been spent on putting food on the table for some of the most vulnerable families in our communities.

"The support from the Foundation has been vital in supporting our work in the community, and the fact that the Celtic Family has raised so much to support good causes is a terrific vindication of Brother Walfrid's vision.

"Together, Spirit Aid and the Foundation make a wonderful team, we share real values and we make things happen. Our volunteers take great inspiration from the support that we receive and for that, we thank Celtic FC Foundation and the Celtic Family for their kindness and generosity.”

John McCorry, of Newcastle Foodbank added: “As we prepare for what will inevitably be a tough winter for many people, with the ongoing and unrelenting cost of living crisis, we are grateful for the support received from Celtic FC Foundation’s Christmas Appeal.

"The festive season is often a challenge for many people as households struggle to make ends meet. The Foundation’s Appeal helps our charity to provide food for families who need assistance at this time of year.

"We expect an unprecedented level of demand for our services this Christmas, up by 36% on last year. We are very grateful to the Foundation for the assistance provided.”

Michaela Collins from PEEK said: “We are always delighted to receive support from Celtic FC Foundation’s Christmas Appeal. We’re overwhelmed with the generosity and kindness of the Celtic supporters.

"With this support, we are able to assist children and young people with a new warm winter jacket and wellies. We are also able to distribute food hampers for families struggling through the winter months ensuring no family will be without a Christmas dinner.

"A lot of the families PEEK support are just coping and we know they are currently choosing between fuel and food this winter and each day is a struggle, so your help really does make a difference.”

Audrey Dempsey from Glasgow's Number 1 Baby & Family Support Service, spoke about their challenges: “As a charity we support people all year to meet their basic daily needs, but we always try and go that extra mile at Christmas with our toy packs and a warm jacket for kids who are at risk of waking to nothing.

"Over the past six years, our referral numbers have grown significantly which means it gets harder every year to meet the demand, so when the Foundation comes in to help out, it is an absolute Godsend. We thank all involved and hope to work in partnership for years to come at Christmas. The kindness and support the Foundation show services like ours is priceless.”

You can also read more about all of the organisations who will benefit from your support at our 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 Light Up Someone’s Christmas this festive season.

There’s still time 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
Make a donation and hang an item on our Virtual Christmas Tree HERE
Provide support through your Christmas shopping in Celtic stores or online by purchasing an item from ‘Walfrid’s Wishlist’ HERE
Purchase our brand new Foundation T-shirt HERE
Provide support through your Christmas shopping via Give as you Live HERE

Thank you for your magnificent support.

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

Christmas Appeal beneficiaries support Children and Families this year