Friday 24th July, 2020 at 11:00am
The Partick Thistle Charitable Trust (PTCT) has now delivered an incredible 25,000 free meals to vulnerable people in the north of Glasgow during the Covid-19 crisis.
The amazing milestone was reached this week and marked with a socially distant event at Firhill Stadium, where the Trust and partners have based their Covid-19 response programme since March, helping vulnerable children, families and the elderly in communities in and around Maryhill.
*Video courtesy of SNS Group
Representatives from the Trust, Glasgow City Council, Progrez, NG Homes and Partick Thistle Football Club – including manager Ian McCall and chief executive Gerry Britton – gathered to mark the moment and pack bags for the next wave of recipients.
Randle Wilson, Chairman of PTCT, said: “At the start of the pandemic, discussions on what we couldn’t do soon turned to what we could do. Some 25,000 meals later, we have an outcome to be proud of. It is an incredible number and one we couldn’t have dreamt of achieving without the funding and support of key partners or the free use of Firhill and its kitchens.”
While free meals remain the most critical component of the project, the programme has evolved through lockdown. To help recipients regain some confidence, the Trust now also delivers packages of fresh food complete with simple recipe guides for meals which can be made in just four minutes. Other items such as hand sanitiser, weekend breakfast packs and self-help books are also included.
Partick Thistle chairman Jacqui Low said: “Everyone in the Thistle family is immensely proud of the outstanding work carried out by the staff and volunteers of PTCT. This critical project has made such a difference to so many people who find themselves facing hardship as a result of the pandemic.
“Partick Thistle Football Club became Partick Thistle Family Club back in March in a temporary move to show fans and our local community that we were here for them – nowhere is that support more powerfully evident than through the significant Covid-19 response programme delivered by the Trust.”
Partick Thistle Charitable Trust relies on ongoing donations to ensure the programme can continue – as well as key funding from Scottish Government, Big Lottery Fund, Glasgow City Council and NG Homes, it has received £12,000 from Thistle supporters.
Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so via the Trust’s fundraising page: https://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/charity-web/charity/finalCharityHomepage.action?charityId=1015468
