Date Published: 5 February 2009

Rangers Charity Foundation donates £100,000 to UNICEF

AC Milan star David Beckham accepted a £100,000 cheque on behalf of UNICEF from the Rangers Charity Foundation’s Charity Champion Barry Ferguson at Wednesday's friendly with the Series A superstars at Ibrox Stadium.

Last October, the Rangers Charity Foundation announced a ground-breaking collaboration with UNICEF which sees Rangers become the charity’s only Scottish football partner, joining other partner clubs on the world stage such as Barcelona, Manchester United and AC Milan.

Former England captain Beckham was delighted to learn the Rangers Charity Foundation has pledged to raise £300,000 for UNICEF in the next three years - which will help fund an education project in India across 15 states, reaching over 45,000 children in over 200 schools.

“It’s great to be able to accept this cheque from the Rangers Charity Foundation on behalf of UNICEF," David commented. “As an Ambassador I’ve seen the impact of UNICEF’s work with children worldwide. The £300,000 pledged by the Rangers Charity Foundation will make a real difference to the lives of thousands of children across India, giving many the chance to go to school for the first time. This money will help to transform children’s lives.”

Rangers Chief Executive Martin Bain, a Trustee of the Charity Foundation, added:

“Today’s £100,000 cheque represents funding for the first phase of the Indian education project and will undoubtedly make a positive difference to the lives of thousands of children. Both UNICEF UK and Rangers Football Club have strong ambitions for this partnership and will be working closely together during the years ahead to ensure the project’s success whilst at the same time promoting our shared humanitarian values.”

The Rangers Charity Foundation also aims to donate £100,000 per year to local projects via its National and Community Charity Partners which this season are RNIB Scotland and Fairbridge in Glasgow and through the Foundation’s ongoing Rangers Community Grants Scheme.

Former Manchester United and Real Madrid midfielder Beckham is currently on loan at AC Milan from LA Galaxy and has been a supporter of UNICEF since his days at Manchester United, when he first witnessed the work of the children’s charity in Thailand in 2001.

He became a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF in 2005 when he launched a global appeal for the children affected by the tsunami in South Asia. Last year he travelled to Sierra Leone, the country with the highest under 5 mortality figures, to draw attention to the issue of child survival.

About UNICEF
UNICEF is on the ground in over 150 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive, from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. UNICEF is funded entirely by the voluntary contributions of individuals, businesses, foundations and governments.

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