Over December, Blackpool Football Club and the Club’s Community Trust were busy collecting, wrapping and distributing gifts for local Blackpool children at risk of not receiving a present on Christmas Day.
Working closely with Blackpool schools, the Community Trust estimated that 1,550 children in KS1 and KS2 may wake up without a gift to open on Christmas Day.
This year’s operation started with a delivery of LEGO, supported by Merlin to Bloomfield Road, where the Community Trust organised a wrapping afternoon and invited Club staff, students, and volunteers to join us in wrapping and bagging the gifts ready to be distributed across the town.
With our Christmas helpers, we were able to complete the wrapping in just a few hours.
Our designated delivery days were the 16th and 17th of December. Community Trust staff were joined by Blackpool FC first-team players CJ Hamilton, Jake Beesley, Olly Casey, Kyle Joseph, Sonny Carey, Albie Morgan, Lee Evans, Ashley Fletcher, Rob Apter, Harry Tyrer, Hayden Coulson, and Zac Ashworth to help drop off gifts at the local schools on these days.
In addition to handing over the gifts, the players stayed for Q&As with groups of pupils, posed for photos with children and staff, and signed memorabilia to help spread some festive cheer.
35 Blackpool schools were in receipt of a gift as part of this year’s campaign, with mainstream, Special Education Needs Schools and Pupil Referral Units all benefitting from the donations.
Funds from all our Festive Fundraisers since the launch in 2020 have meant we have been able to gift over 7,500 presents in the last five years.
Thank you to everyone who has donated this year, together, we raised a huge £13,700 and each donation has been matched by Blackpool FC owner Simon Sadler.
You have contributed to the huge impact this has had on so many families across Blackpool.
