Fan-tash-tic fundraising and more from Glasgow-based club

21 Dec 2020

With on-field activities impacted by Covid-19, clubs and schools across Scotland have been turning their focus to off-field activity to support charitable causes.

Here, we share an update from Cartha Queens Park RFC who have been involved in supporting Movember and the Trussell Trust this winter season.

The club kicked off their charitable work by supporting Movember, a charity which support men’s health projects and funds research to tackle mental health and suicide prevention, prostate cancer and testicular cancer.

Players participating spent the month of November growing some truly hair-raising moustaches, whilst collecting donations. The group raised over £10,500 for the cause, placing them in the top 60 on the overall UK leader board, and in 8th place on the UK leader board for rugby clubs for contributions to the charity this year.

More recently, the club has turned their attention to supporting their local community by collecting items for the Glasgow South East foodbank, operated by the Trussell Trust. The food drive was organised by club members Thomas Davidson, Mark Barrowman, Calum Dickson, David Forbes and Ed Crozier.

By Saturday 19 December the club had donated an estimated £12,000 worth of food, toiletries and other essentials to the foodbank.

Cartha Queens Park Club President Ed Crozier said: “The foodbank told us that our contribution is one of the largest they have ever seen. The donations will have an immediate positive impact on the geographical area where our club is located including Govan, Govanhill and Pollock, areas of higher deprivation, relative to the rest of the country, which unfortunately have been further compounded by the impact of Covid-19.”

“The food drive was a real club effort. We had a young girl from our mini’s section donate her chocolate selection box, and past players from the 1950s contribute items too. It blew me away.”

Peter Burgon, Scottish Rugby’s Regional Director for the Glasgow North region said:

“I’d like to extend my thanks on behalf of Scottish Rugby to Cartha Queen Park RFC for their remarkable contributions to these two deserving charities. Their generosity will no doubt go a long way to supporting local families and men across the country who need support with their help.”