The Football Association [The FA] will donate over £495,000 from previously held Emirates FA Cup gate receipts to the Disasters Emergency Committee [DEC] and UNICEF UK.
The funds were held by The FA from Chelsea’s 2021-22 Emirates FA Cup Semi Final fixture at Wembley Stadium, due to government sanctions on the club, and will subsequently be donated to the humanitarian organisations in conjunction with Chelsea.
Almost £250,000 will be donated directly to each organisation to support their efforts in providing emergency interventions for those impacted by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
DEC charities are supporting local aid efforts, helping to provide cash assistance, food, healthcare, clean water, shelter, protection and more to the people in Ukraine and refugees in neighbouring countries. An example is DEC charity Age International, which is working with local government in Moldova to identify those most in need, many of whom are older people, who have lost access to their life savings and are unable to work.
UNICEF UK is focusing its efforts on supporting children affected by the crisis in Ukraine with access to lifesaving supplies and services. A donation of £250,000 could cover the cost of setting up a blue dot hub – a safe space for up to 5,000 children and families each day – as well as providing funding for emergency shelters for 4,444 families, or over 7,800 first-aid kits for health workers, enabling them to respond to those in urgent need of care.
Saleh Saeed, DEC Chief Executive, said: "We are delighted to receive this donation in support of our Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, which will help our member charities with their vital work reaching millions of people in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. We recently marked one year since the conflict escalated and we can see the need remains as important as ever. Thank you to the Football Association for this generous donation and trust in our work."
Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive at The UK Committee for UNICEF [UNICEF UK], said: "Children and their families have been forced to flee their homes and continue to be on the move in and outside of Ukraine. UNICEF has been working tirelessly to keep children safe – from the start of this conflict eight years ago up to this very moment. I am grateful for the growing support of our generous donors, such as the Football Association, that enables the continuation of this crucial response."
More than 1,000 Ukrainians, and the families who’ve welcomed them into their homes across Britain, attended the UEFA EURO 2024 qualifying fixture between England and Ukraine at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 26 March. They were invited to the game as special guests of The FA and Wembley Stadium, in collaboration with Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain.
