Celtic Football Club was formed in November 1887 with the aim of alleviating poverty for the offspring of Irish immigrant children in Glasgow. During preliminary meetings to establish Celtic, Brother Walfrid had proposed that the focus of the fundraising should be on three Catholic parishes in the East End of the city. Almost all of the founding fathers had connections in these communities and, after discussion, the churches would be on board following one parish (St Andrew’s) withdrawing from the project. This is reflected in the club’s first circular:
The main objective of the Celtic Football Club is to supply the East End conferences of the St Vincent De Paul Society with funds for the maintenance of the “Dinner Tables” of our needy children in the missions of St. Mary’s, Sacred Heart and St. Michaels. Many cases of sheer poverty are left unaided through lack of means. It is therefore with this principle object that we have set afloat the “Celtic”, and we invite you as one of our ever-ready friends to assist in putting our new park in proper working order for the coming football season.
Proceeds raised through the club’s matches helped to feed the poor, whilst donations were also made to other Catholic charities and to evicted tenants in Ireland.
Over 133 years have since passed but unfortunately, many families within Glasgow continue to live in poverty. Food poverty is a particularly prevalent issue and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has only worsened that problem.
Fortunately, Celtic Football Club now have an organisation that I would describe as the legacy of Brother Walfrid and his peers – the Celtic FC Foundation. In the words of the charity:
“Celtic FC Foundation exists today to carry on Celtic’s charitable ethos created so many years ago and this is ordinarily done through the delivery of a series of key needs-led projects, aimed at creating opportunities for society’s most vulnerable and marginalised groups.
Monthly donations are vital in continuing the charitable heritage of the Club and for that reason, our regular giving scheme is called Walfrid’s Wish, with a key focus on providing support for those living in poverty. This includes a partnership with Glasgow North East Foodbank and annual lunches for Glasgow’s homeless community.”
As mentioned, the COVID-19 pandemic has worsened a very real ongoing problem in terms of food poverty in Glasgow. It is a sad state of affairs that modern Britain, with all its wealth, still suffers these issues. Be that as it may, the Celtic FC Foundation are on hand to assist in a very poignant way.
“Due to the COVID-19 crisis, our traditional project delivery and fundraising activities were temporarily paused, however, the Football for Good Fund (FFGF) was formed in response to the pandemic and, thanks to the phenomenal backing of the Celtic fan base worldwide, it has risen to over £1m and thousands of those most in need have since been provided with urgent food and essentials.
Ordinarily, the fundraising calendar would have been packed with a host of initiatives including gala dinners, sponsored events and match day collections but these have simply been impossible to deliver and only now, as restrictions appear to be easing, can we start planning for a return to some fundraising normality further down the line.
Monthly donations have, therefore, been even more vital than ever before and will continue to be an invaluable source of income, at a time when so many of our usual methods of engaging with supporters have been removed.
Walfrid’s Wish donations since March, 2020 have been dedicated to the FFGF and, through a new COVID-19 project in partnership with Glasgow North East Foodbank, almost 18KG of food (29,000 meals) has been distributed to those in need.”
With many people still struggling, Celtic FC Foundation continue help thousands of people those who need their support. As ever, none of this would be possible without the continued backing of the Celtic support, who stick to Brother Walfrid’s visionary ideals and value the club’s traditions to this day.
In a post on the Celtic FC Foundation website, it was stated: “As Jock Stein said, ‘Football without fans is nothing’ and for the Club’s charitable arm, the fans and their incredible support means absolutely everything.
Sadly, Walfrid’s wish of alleviating poverty through football is just as vital in 2021, as it was in 1887 and regular giving has taken on more importance now than ever before.”
It couldn’t be easier to sign up and give from as little as £3 per month. Details on all of the donation options can be found HERE.
The Celtic FC Foundation have placed on record their thanks to the support, remarking: “A massive thank you to all of the supporters out there who continue to play their part – you are making a huge difference.”
