24-four football fundraiser goes for goals in Glasgow
Football players from an inclusive Glasgow club supported by Openreach completed a marathon 24-hour fundraising match this weekend.
The round-the-clock endurance event staged by Dennistoun-based Glasgow Saints FC raised more than £7000 for three good causes:
- Glasgow's renowned Beatson Cancer Centre, where a player with Glasgow Saints’ Women & Non-Binary team is undergoing treatment;
- Openreach engineer and Scottish Women's Premier League player Alana Marshall, who needs overseas treatment for Multiple Sclerosis (MS);
- Ongoing work of the Glasgow Saints to support charities in their local community.
In addition to scoring goals, every player took along at least one item for a collection for Dennistoun’s Everlasting Food Bank, with several bagfuls of goods handed in at at SoccerWorld Glasgow during the weekend.
Organiser Laurie Keith, a manager at the Glasgow club who also works for Openreach, came up with the fundraising challenge.
He said: "This is not just about football; it's about making a tangible difference in people's lives. Together, we can score big for those in need.
"The support we’ve had from everyone has been amazing. The players ran their legs off and we’ve raised more than £7000 for worthy causes which are very people orientated.
"I feel very proud to have been involved and to have worked with everyone over the past couple of weeks bringing it all together.
"It’s given us a real sense of community and restored our faith in human nature. Thank you to everyone who helped and played around the clock. It’s been brilliant.”
The marathon ended with a celebratory event and raffle draw on Sunday, with prizes ranging from an overnight stay at Loch Lomond, wine tasting and dining, to a child escort place at a Scotland fixture to an X-box, Apple watches and AirPods and Google Chromecasts.
Openreach and Glasgow Saints teamed up in a diversity and inclusion partnership last year. The club gives Glaswegians from all different backgrounds a safe place to play. Its players and coaches are from various cultural, religious and financial backgrounds, with asylum seekers and refugees among those in the squad.
Donations can be made at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/glasgow-saints-24hr-charity-football-match.
