Latest news with #fundraiser
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jags For Good launch annual Partick Thistle season ticket fundraiser
Jags For Good have launched their annual fundraiser to distribute season tickets to local charities and Partick Thistle supporters struggling with the cost of living. The fans' group, comprised of volunteers who campaign for social justice, have raised around £30,000 over the past three years to provide an opportunity to attend games at Firhill for those who would be otherwise unable to do so. Advertisement Now in its fourth year, Jags For Good are hoping to raise £5,000 via the fundraiser – and Neil Cowan, a founding member of the group, is asking fans who can afford it to consider donating to the cause. At the time of publication, £2,640 has already been raised. The scheme's short-term benefits are obvious, but it has also had the long-term effect of adding a few converts to the red-and-yellow army, as Cowan explains. 'This is the fourth season,' he said. 'We first launched the fundraiser in 2022 and we've done it every year since. 'In total, we've raised the best part of £30,000 over the last three years. This year we have set a target of £5,000 initially. It's a bit lower because people have been finding it tough financially over the past few years. Advertisement 'We're running it again because we've seen the impact it's had in the last few years. We've had loads of nice messages from people saying, 'I wasn't a Thistle fan before, but I came along with my son or daughter and we're now hooked and love the club'. 'We fundraise for season tickets for local charities we work with so people can use them, and that was the idea initially. But then we opened it out to Jags fans who are struggling with the cost of living; people who in years gone by would come to Firhill, but who are maybe finding it a bit tough financially and can only come to one or two games a year. 'If you're struggling to come to games, just email us and you'll get a ticket no questions asked. You don't have to prove anything, we just take you at your word. So we had quite a few people last season and the year before getting tickets because of that. 'We're doing that again this year. We will give tickets to some local charities that support refugees, low-income families and people experiencing homelessness in north west Glasgow, as well as Jags fans who are struggling a bit financially. You can contact us and we'll help you out with a ticket, provided there are enough to go around.' Advertisement Jags For Good work alongside a variety of charities based in the north east of Glasgow, aiding people from all walks of life in an attempt to make Firhill as welcoming and inclusive as they possibly can. As has been the case in previous years, the club will match the final sum raised by supporters and donations are welcome until the end of July. Cowan said: 'We've distributed tickets to loads of different charities: the Partick Thistle Charitable Trust, who do amazing work; Maryhill Integration Network, who mostly work with asylum seekers and refugees in Maryhill; Includem, a charity who work with families; there's a charity that work with low-income families; there's one who work with people with drug and alcohol addictions – all sorts of charities. 'When the tickets go to them, they generally go to people who haven't been to see Thistle before. We know that quite a lot of people, for good or for ill, catch the Thistle bug and suffer alongside the rest of us every Saturday! Advertisement 'Season tickets are only valid for league matches so we will be running our fundraiser through July and we'll probably close it around a week-and-a-half before the first home league match [against Greenock Morton on 9 August] so that we have time to collate everything, buy the tickets and then give them out to people. 'The other great thing is, as they have every year, the club are going to match every penny we raise. If we raise five grand, it'll be ten grand's worth of season tickets that are distributed. So if someone donates a tenner, really it's 20 quid. 'It's pretty cool. It's the whole thing about coming along to Firhill – even if we don't win, it makes you feel part of a community and that's really what it's all about. Thistle is a community club and we should be an extension of that community, and we should be as inclusive as possible. This is a relatively small way of making that a reality. 'There is a small group of us, and it is a good wee group of folk who do matchday collections and things like that. We are volunteers doing this in our spare time but I think we all see the value in it. We enjoy it and see the good that it does, and it is also a great thing to be a part of – using Thistle for the greater good.' You can donate to Jags For Good's season ticket fundraiser here.
ABC News
7 hours ago
- Automotive
- ABC News
Road weary Sh**box Rally drivers roll into Darwin for charity auction finale
After eight days on the road, a fleet of cheap and cheerful clunkers pulls into the Darwin Showgrounds covered in rust, dust, flags and fur. The weary and relieved drivers honk their horns and rev their engines as they roll to a stop — but the fun isn't over yet. Saturday is auction day, and some of these beloved "shitboxes" are about to find their forever homes. "I'm not going to say too much about her because she's got to be auctioned off," said Nicole from Coffs Harbour on the NSW Mid-North Coast, patting the boot of her Ford Focus. Organisers estimate over 500 drivers took part in the winter 2025 edition of the Shitbox Rally, driving from Perth to Darwin in cars worth less than $1,500 apiece. "We've built a really unique community. We've put strangers together only eight days ago, and now they're lifelong friends," founder James Freeman said. But while the showgrounds are bursting with pride and camaraderie, the fundraiser was born from tragedy. The latest event brought in more than $2.6 million for cancer research, taking the overall amount raised by Shitbox Rally events to nearly $57 million over the past 15 years. "The motivation is a heartbreaking personal story — I lost both of my parents to cancer within 12 months," Mr Freeman said. For Carmen and Brendan from Werribee in Victoria, the cause is close to home in more ways than one. "I was affected by cancer; 14 years ago I had breast cancer," Carmen said. "We've had family and friends who were all affected by cancer. If we can help support cancer researchers, then this is going to a very good cause." Their car, a repurposed taxi named Olaf the Shitbox, had seen them through four rallies before it died coming into Darwin on Friday night. "It's served us well over the past four years," Brendan said. Also among the rally's entrants was Finnish ambassador to Australia Arto Haapea, driving The Happiest Car in the World, a blue Toyota Camry adorned with flags, rainbows, and Finnish cartoons. "The fact that we can do something like this for a common cause is the biggest inspiration for me to take part," he said. "I've got my own history of cancer in my early twenties, so I know what it means to have first-class research." As the auction begins, buyers gather to bid for cars, and Darwin local Michael ends up taking home two. "I'm pretty stoked; the first one has got a set of golf clubs on top, which is probably worth more than the car, so that's nice," he said. While some of the cars might be on the brink of collapse, many entrants are already turning their minds to the next event — a spring rally from Alice Springs to Brisbane. "Being Australians, we have a tendency to want a challenge and also to self-deprecate, to laugh at ourselves and the situation," Mr Freeman said. "All of that is moulded together with this particular challenge — this particular rally."
CTV News
11 hours ago
- General
- CTV News
Fundraiser honours Surrey teen
Vancouver Watch A touching tribute in Surrey with family and friends coming together to honour Chase De Balinhard with a fundraiser near and dear to his heart.
Times
19 hours ago
- Business
- Times
Kebab king's SME outfit ‘lobbies for big tobacco'
A t a Middle Eastern restaurant nestled under railway arches not far from Westminster on Monday, senior Labour figures gathered for an evening fundraiser. As the drinks flowed, Jonathan Reynolds, the business secretary, Lord Mandelson, the Labour peer and British ambassador to the United States, and Darren Jones, a Treasury minister, gave speeches. The reception was supported by SME4Labour, a relatively obscure business group founded by Ibrahim Dogus, a Kurdish restaurateur dubbed the 'Kebab king' who has cultivated an extraordinary hotline granting businesses access to Labour's top table. Dogus, 44, best known as the founder of the British Kebab Awards — dubbed the Oscars for the doner — also runs SME4Labour, which has convinced the Labour Party's great and good to turn up to its events, which business figures can pay thousands of pounds to attend.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Big sporting names to attend Echo reporter's mental health fundraiser
SOUTHEND United boss Kevin Maher and fellow Shrimpers legend Steve Tilson will both star in Chris Phillips' latest fundraiser tomorrow. Chris - who is the Echo's long serving Blues reporter - will be playing a combination of racket sports for 10 consecutive hours at David Lloyd Southend this weekend to raise funds for the mental health charity Mind of the Student. Advertisement And Chris is looking forward to seeing a number of familiar faces throughout his latest challenge with TikTok stars Alexis LOS and Jack Wells. 'It's great that Kev and Tilly are coming along to take part and there could be some other well known people too taking part,' said Chris. 'It's going to be a tough challenge and now it's getting nearer I'm starting to worry if I might actually be able to do it. 'But getting through difficult times is what mental health is all about really so I guess it's quite fitting so I'll do whatever it takes to get to the end of the 10 hours.' Chris will start the challenge playing badminton for two hours before he also plays pickleball, table-tennis, padel and tennis. Advertisement And the challenge is for a cause close to Chris' heart. 'I struggle an awful lot with my own mental health but that gives me extra motivation to fundraise and try to stop others feeling the same way,' said Chris. 'I've actually struggled a lot this week if I'm honest but the fundraiser has been a big motivating factor for me and I'll do whatever I can to make it a success.' Chris is no stranger to fundraising having already made £157,000 for a combination of charities. His latest challenge has already raised close to £11,000 including gift aid and that total could yet see Chris having to carry out a forfeit. Advertisement 'If I get to £10,000 without gift aid I have to record my first ever TikTok dance and if I get to £15,000 then I have to dye my hair so it makes it a bit more interesting,' said Chris. 'I thought making myself look even more stupid might be a good way of persuading more people to sponsor me and I'm certain it has got me a few more donations. 'It's all for an amazing cause too as Mind of the Student do such incredible work to help youngsters with their mental health and I'm fundraising to help bring their work to Southend which would be massive for our area.' Chris was keen to thank his main sponsors Genesis Risk Solutions alongside Get Set and c2c for their support.
