550 hampers & 200 gifts delivered in time for Christmas

For many, Christmas is about family, tradition and coming together. But for too many people across Ayrshire, the festive period is a stark reminder of isolation and hardship. Last month, The Killie Community stepped in and delivered its largest ever Mission Christmas initiative, proving that the power of football and Kilmarnock Football Club extends far beyond the pitch.

Packed with vital food and essential toiletries, the charity created a total of 550 Christmas hampers, and on 23rd December, delivered these to people young and old who are living alone or facing destitution due to poverty. The hampers reached communities right across Ayrshire, supporting individuals and families who might otherwise have gone without during the festive period.

The Killie Community is Kilmarnock FC’s partner charity, set up to harness the power and reach of the club to improve lives and tackle poverty, inequality and isolation. While closely linked to the club and its values, The Killie Community operates independently, allowing it to respond directly to local need, whether supporting families in crisis or improving physical and mental wellbeing across all ages, backgrounds and circumstances.

The charity’s remarkable effort this Christmas was made possible through the collective backing of local businesses and partners including Grants Foods, Brownings The Bakers, Spar Crosshouse, Hamilton Tarmac, Cash for Kids, NHS Ayrshire & Arran Oral Health Improvement, Portland Janitorial Products, Brakes, Kilmarnock Rotary Club, and a hugely generous £1,800 donation from Killie Fans Supporting Foodbanks. Just as importantly, hundreds of Kilmarnock supporters played their part, dropping off food and toiletries throughout December at The Killie Community Hub.

Alongside the hampers, The Killie Community delivered 200 Christmas gifts to young people, care-experienced young adults who had left the care system and were now living independently or raising young children, and vulnerable adults, all who would otherwise have gone without a present on Christmas Day.

This year’s approach was a first of its kind: a highly targeted, individual-focused gift initiative, delivered in partnership with partners such as Children First, local recovery organisations, Blue Triangle, and East and North Ayrshire social work teams. Supporters were invited to take a tag from the Mission Christmas tree at the Hub, each representing a real person with specific needs. Every gift was purchased, wrapped and delivered in time for Christmas Day.

Kilmarnock FC’s Men’s First Team played a hands-on role, both by packing hampers and by ensuring no young person on The Killie Community’s list was left without a gift on Christmas Day.

All hampers and gifts were delivered in time for Christmas thanks to a fleet of vehicles provided by Green Home Systems, a key local partner working closely with The Killie Community to promote renewable, climate-friendly initiatives alongside social impact.

Reflecting on the scale and significance of the initiative, Jordan Allison, Head of Charity at The Killie Community, said:

“We are incredibly proud of the way our community responds when need is at its greatest at this time of year. Mission Christmas shows what can be achieved when football is used as a force for good helping us reach young people and adults who too often fall through the gaps and are at risk of being forgotten when other services simply can’t reach them.

“The targeted gift initiative was something we were particularly proud of. The feedback we received was deeply moving, reflecting that it isn’t about what was inside the gift, but the fact that someone they had never met had taken the time to care about them. For many of the people we supported this year, that sense of being valued and remembered is rare, and that is why true partnership working across our whole community is so important.”