THE Celtic Foundation has announced they will be making £150,000 available through the Football for Good Fund to help vulnerable members of the community during the coronavirus crisis.

The foundation has pledged to provide assistance to vulnerable families, pensioners, individuals who have been affected financially by the crisis, the homeless and frontline NHS staff.

From next midweek, they will feed around 250 people, including NHS staff, at Celtic Park over three sittings every week day within the parameters of government guidance over social distancing.

The foundation will also attempt reach the most isolated through the local food bank network and provide funding to charity partners to urgently help supply food to the most vulnerable in our community.

Celtic’s chief executive Peter Lawwell said: “Our club was born to bring comfort to the most vulnerable on our doorstep and we strive to maintain that charitable principle today, through the work of Celtic FC Foundation.

“The current climate we face is both alien and daunting and, as a family, we must do everything in our power to provide assistance and comfort to those who need it most.

“The Celtic support have continually epitomised the essence of our club in their charitable actions and I hope that this fund will provide a focus for a concerted team effort to provide a lifeline to so many.”

Celtic Foundation chief executive Tony Hamilton said: “These are exceptional and surreal times for all of us. What was normal even a week ago has gone, and many families and individuals are now rightly worried about their families, their health and their jobs.

“This is primarily about helping people with the money we have, it’s not about fundraising, although we would clearly like to do more as we could be in this for the long haul. We know that a lot of people who normally help Celtic FC Foundation will not be able to help this time.

“The priority areas are organisations who care for vulnerable pensioners, the homeless community and those who run Foodbanks. And we will play our part in helping frontline NHS staff who work tirelessly for all of us.

"There will also be many new Foodbank users in the coming months and while many people are stockpiling food, even less is going to the Foodbanks.

“We are very grateful for anything you can do to help us further protect our vulnerable neighbours through this crisis. Thank you from everyone at the Club and the Foundation.”