Football club bar sales raise £10,000 for charity

Thousands of pounds raised through bar sales at a football club are being used to support people at "crisis point", a director of a homelessness charity has said.

Salisbury FC has raised more than £10,000 through proceeds from its stadium bar for local charity Alabaré, which has supported more than 3,000 people at risk of homelessness in the past year.

The money was being directed into programmes supporting people battling drug and alcohol misuse, and was making "a tangible difference", the charity's director said.

Two of the Whites' games in the remainder of the National League South season are being dedicated to raising money for the charity.

Salisbury FC's home matches against Chippenham Town on 27 January and against Weston-super-Mare on 6 April will include special bucket collections for the charity, which also operates in the other two clubs' areas.

"We're incredibly grateful to the Whites board and fans for their support, and are excited for the rest of the campaign, both on and off the pitch", said James Tomlinson, director of strategic communications for Alabaré.

The charity offers drop-in services across Wiltshire including Salisbury, Chippenham and Corsham, with the winter months often the busiest.

The owner and chairman of Salisbury Football Club, Ali Alhamad, visited Alabaré's Somewhere Safe to Go drop-in service to hear how proceeds from the club's bar have been assisting the homeless charity's drug and alcohol addiction programme.

"I was delighted to be able to show Ali around Alabaré Place and show him how the football club's support is making a tangible difference to people at a crisis point", Mr Tomlinson said.

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