Sitting at home during the Coronavirus lockdown, a group of local footballers decided to donate their usual Sunday subs to a local charity and chose the Friary.
Mark Ryan, one of the group who works for a company that encourages employee-led charitable giving and provides matched funding, put in the request to his employer Boxes & Packaging, part of Logson and the W & R Barnett Group
“This charity works in my local community and people who rely on this service will need it now more than ever,” said Mark. “My teammates and I are pleased that we are able to help support their vital work and it would be great to see other people, who normally play sport, joining forces with their clubs to set up similar Just Giving pages and give some tangible support to our local communities.”
Should you wish to support Mark and his teammates then please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/football-supporting-homeless
His employer Boxes and Packaging when asked to support his idea, couldn’t have given a better response:
“Thank you for your application for charity matching for the Friary which supports homeless and vulnerable adults. I am delighted to confirm Boxes & Packaging supports your application and you will be eligible for match funding up to £2,000.”
“We thought this was a really ingenious way to raise money from the football subs and much needed in these very difficult times,” commented a member of the senior leadership team at Boxes and Packaging. “We would like to wish Mark and his teammates good luck with their fundraising. “
Helen Jones Marketing & Communications Officer for the Friary says:
“We’re a local charity delivering frontline service to homeless people during the COVID-19 pandemic, therefore we have permission to stay open. The best way to support the Friary today is to make a financial contribution to help us to remain open: www.the-friary.org.uk
“We are all being affected by the COVID-19 situation, if you can find something positive to do within the current constraints, I encourage you to use this time effectively. Kids, parents & grandparents can all get involved. With a little imagination, motivation (we certainly have the time!) and a little help from friends and family you can achieve more than you think, let’s take our lead from Mark and his team mates. Don’t worry if you can’t access matched funding through an employer but it may be worth asking if you can. The Friary has enough food for now but will need all the financial support we can get until we can resume our usual fundraising activities.”
“Thank you to all who continue to support the Friary, we couldn’t do this without your help.”
