See the special shirt Sunderland AFC will wear against Gillingham to support Foundation of Light’s Give a Quid campaign

Saturday’s (April 2) home fixture against Gillingham has been dedicated to the Foundation of Light’s Give a Quid initiative to raise to raise £30,000 to support critical community services to combat the impact of food, fuel and digital poverty across Sunderland, South Tyneside and County Durham.

To support the event, the players will also wear special warm-up t-shirts and playing shirts carrying the Foundation of Light logo.

In addition to fans being asked to donate a quid, the special edition shirts will be signed and auctioned after the match to raise further funds.

Craig Shields, Great Annual Savings Group’s operations director, said: “We are proud to be offering support to the Give a Quid campaign which has delivered essential support over recent years. Sadly, it will be needed more than ever in the current climate.

“We are a business which closely monitors our impact and we launched our own foundation in 2021, which works towards similar goals as the Foundation of Light for the better of communities in Sunderland and County Durham.

"For this reason, we are honoured to gift the front of shirt space to Give a Quid and we urge supporters to give what they can at a time when it’s needed most.”

The North East has the second highest rate of child poverty in the UK with one in three children across the region living in poverty.

Following the recent Spring Financial Statement by the Chancellor, it’s a situation which only looks set to worsen with inflation projected to rise to 7.25 per cent next month and the Office for Budget Responsibility highlighting UK households faced the biggest drop in living standards since records began in the 1950s.

Sunderland AFC Manager Alex Neil said: “Give a Quid is a fantastic campaign to support our communities and make sure those who need help get it.

“The Foundation do amazing work in the community and if each fan in the stadium donated £1, we could hit our target and collectively make a real difference to local lives.”

Lesley Spuhler, Chief Executive of the Foundation of Light, added: “We are absolutely delighted that Great Annual Savings have backed our campaign to tackle poverty and gifted their front of shirt sponsorship to us for the match.

“The money raised by the shirt auction will go a long way to supporting the very poorest in our communities who are set to be hit hardest over the coming months as prices rise.

Over the last year, the Foundation has delivered thousands of food parcels to children and families across the region and working with the Red and White Army, tonnes of food and toys have been collected for the Sunderland Foodbank and Salvation Army.

In addition to collections taking place at the game, fans can donate via the Foundation’s JustGiving page or by texting FOLQUID to 70085 to donate £1 or FOLFIVE to the same number to donate £5.

The Foundation have raised nearly £100,000 since the first Give a Quid fixture in 2019.

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