Soccer Aid raises over £2 million for UNICEF
Howard Lake | 31 May 2006 | News
Soccer Aid has raised more than twice as much as UNICEF, the United Nations Children’s Fund, expected.
Soccer Aid, created by singer Robbie Williams, involved teams of celebrities and “football legends” training and then playing in a match at Old Trafford. The project was broadcast daily on ITV1 and ITV2, from 22-27 May.
Individual contributions totalled £1.2 million in response to the UNICEF appeal films shown every night as part of the programme. Proceeds from the match at Old Trafford, including net profits from ticket and programme sales, raised almost £1 million with a further £300,000 donated by ITV from viewer participations via competition phone lines and text messaging.
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The money raised by Soccer Aid will fund UNICEF’s work with its partners to support children affected by HIV/AIDS, malaria, malnutrition, lack of education, lack of clean water and abandonment.
UNICEF UK Executive Director David Bull said: “Soccer Aid is a great achievement for children across the world. I would like to thank everyone involved especially the British public for their enormous generosity. UNICEF’s work relies entirely on voluntary donations and because of Soccer Aid we will be able to reach hundreds and thousands of vulnerable children to give them the best possible chance in life.”
The Soccer Aid donation lines will remain open until 4 June 2006.
About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.