Together with our global charity partner Plan International, Chelsea Foundation have raised more than £20,000 with the support of fans, to help families in India affected by the second wave of Coronavirus. The club has also doubled the donation by match funding the total amount raised.
The Foundation recently joined forces with Plan International to launch a shirt auction to raise funds for the appeal, with match-issued, signed shirts from our men’s 2020/21 UEFA Champions League campaign made available to bid on by fans.
A total of £22,225 was raised from the Matchwornshirt.com auction, and with the club matching the funds raised from the auction, the figure has now risen to £44,450.
These donations will now go towards supporting the most vulnerable families in India, including meeting immediate nutritional needs, providing hospitals with PPE and other essential equipment, and helping children continue their education.
Club Chairman Bruce Buck said: ‘I’m proud to see our fans and the club unite behind such an important cause and continue support for our charity partner, Plan International.
‘Donations will go directly to help vulnerable families and we hope will make a real difference to the lives of people in India as they continue to battle the pandemic’s second wave.’
Rose Caldwell, chief executive of Plan International UK, said: ‘As our team responds to India’s deadly second wave of Coronavirus, we are hugely grateful to Chelsea fans and the club for supporting vulnerable children and families.
‘Seeing bids from Chelsea fans all around the world really highlights the global reach of our partnership. We look forward to enjoying this fantastic support into next season, which we hope will see even more success for the club!’
Fans can find out more about Plan International’s India Coronavirus appeal and donate online by clicking here.