The Trust’s COVID19 fund-raising reaches £185,000 

Aberdeen Football Club Community Trust (AFCCT) has been awarded £85,300 from the Scottish Government towards the #StillStandingFree community campaign, run jointly with the Club. 

The Wellbeing Fund was stablished to support organisations across the third sector that are providing important services to people who are most affected by the coronavirus pandemic. It forms part of a £350 million package from the Scottish Government, distributed through SCVO. 

Organisations applying for funds had to demonstrate they were providing vital wellbeing support on issues such as mental health, personal finances, employment, housing, food, physical health and home life.  

The grant will be used to cover staffing, vehicle, PPE and food costs involved in the vital food deliveries the Trust and the Club is making to the most vulnerable families throughout the North-east.  

This announcement comes on the back of recent donations from the Lord Provost’s Charitable Trust Aberdeen Covid-19 Hardship Fund and Northsound’s Cash for Kids, totalling £35,000  

In addition, over 800 Dons’ fans have donated over £40,000 to the Trust’s JustGiving page set up to support the community through the coronavirus pandemic.   

AFCCT chief executive, Liz Bowie, said: “This latest grant from the Scottish Government, via the SCVO administered Wellbeing Fund is a major boost for the Trust. Coupled with donations from the Lord Provost’s Trust and Cash for Kids, it underlines the awareness and success of our community campaign and the appreciation of the positive impact it is having on those most affected during this pandemic.  

“Having only taken up the position of CEO at the Trust a month before lockdown, I’m constantly blown away by the support for the Trust among partners and stakeholders. The generosity of Dons’ fans, either through direct donations to our JustGiving page or through their purchase of season tickets, 10% of which is being match funded by AFC investors to the Trust, is tremendous. I’m hoping that we can reach the £200,000 target in time for the Trust’s birthday on 1st of July. 

 “I’ve also had my eyes opened to the very real and distressing poverty gap that exists in our region and am passionate about continuing to work with the Club to provide a vital lifeline to so many vulnerable families throughout this crisis and enhancing our programmes focused on education, mental health and wellbeing to help close that gap.” 

If you would like to make a donation to the #StillStandingFree campaign and support the work the Community Trust are doing in the North-East and beyond, you can do so online here.