HUNDREDS of families in Edinburgh and the Lothians received Christmas essentials thanks to the incredible efforts of 274 award-winning Big Hearts Supporters linked to Heart of Midlothian’s charity.
For the second Christmas of the pandemic, Big Hearts Community Trust went on the road to bring some festive cheer directly to people’s homes. The official charity of Heart of Midlothian FC, based at Tynecastle Park, focused on providing practical support to various groups referred by the local schools, social workers and partner charities.
Big Hearts revealed that the number of referrals had doubled since 2020. A call for Hearts fans to become Big Hearts Supporters enabled the charity to meet the demand.
No less than 274 individuals came forward to help, by volunteering in their own time or at the Stadium, making Big Hearts’ festive activity the biggest to date. A total of 400 pre-cooked Christmas dinners, 500 bags of tailored presents and 100 food parcels were distributed in time for Christmas Day.
Hearts Players visit the Broomhouse foodbank. From left: Taylor Moore, Craig Gordon, Alex Cochrane & Beni Baningime.Andrew McKinlay, Big Hearts Trustee and Chief Executive of Heart of Midlothian FC said:
“The festive holidays can be a challenging time for many. Throughout the pandemic, football has remained a force for good and it’s heart-warming to see a record number of Hearts fans joining Big Hearts, the charity operating from Tynecastle Park, to help provide much-needed support across the community this Christmas. They are a credit to our Club, and our shared family and community values. A big thank you to all involved, your kindness doesn’t go unnoticed.”
