As part of a joint effort between the TJF and Partick Thistle Football Club, we are delighted to announce that 40 adult tickets have been made available to Glasgow’s Ukrainian community for the home match against Cove Rangers on Saturday 4th February. As part of the arrangement, the kids in the group will also be granted free admission, and the Club has some extra surprises on matchday for the group.
We hope that these new Glaswegians have a cracking day out at Firhill and that they help us cheer Thistle on to a vital three points.
Background
When Russia invaded Ukraine almost one year ago, many families were forced to flee their homes and set up a new, safer, life elsewhere in Europe. A significant number of these displaced people, many of whom are children, currently find themselves living in Scotland.
Security and stability are so important for displaced families as they seek to rebuild their lives away from conflict. One of the major challenges, especially here in the UK, has been finding suitable longer-term accommodation for Ukrainian families. You may have seen that, for several months now, a cruise ship at Braehead has been used to provide temporary accommodation, including for hundreds of Ukrainian children.
That arrangement is expected to come to an end soon, but much work has still to be done to find proper homes and a longer-term resolution that works for these several hundred families. This past year has been a very challenging time for Glasgow’s Ukrainian diaspora. They have had to rely on the goodwill and generosity of their new community in the West of Scotland and still face considerable uncertainty about their future.
How TJF and Thistle got involved
The Jags Foundation was recently approached by a Kirk minister, and big Jags fan Adam Dillon. At Sherbrooke Mosspark Parish Church, in the South Side of Glasgow, his congregation runs a support group for the Ukrainian Community. They have helped to make the day-to-day challenges a little bit easier. Adam thought it would be a great idea if we could bring a bit of Firhill magic to one of their weekends, and maybe even secure a few converts to the Thistle cause. We entirely agree, and are delighted that the Club could help us find a way to make it happen.
We are also very grateful to Cosgrove Care and Jewish Care Scotland, who are supporting this initiative by providing our guests with transport to the game.