Newbridge McDonald’s restaurant, owned and operated by local Franchisee Elliot Jardine, has made a significant contribution to local charity, Bo’ness United Community Football Club. The organisation received a total of £5,000, plus extra support from the McDonald’s team.
Bo’ness United Community Football Club is a thriving grassroots club with charitable status, embedded in their boasting 350 players from Bo’ness and beyond. The club has inclusivity and accessibility baked into its DNA.
Bo’ness United takes great pride in its commitment to diversity and inclusion, with a dedicated a girl’s section accounting for more than 30% of its membership. The club also ensures that age is no barrier to football -hosting men’s and women’s recreational games, midnight leagues for teenagers, and even walking leagues to allow the older and less mobile players access to the game.
The donation was made possible by the ‘McDonald’s in the Community Foundation’, set up by 16 Scottish McDonald’s Franchisees, and the 20 McDonald’s-owned restaurants in Scotland. The foundation provides a central hub to help distribute funds, raised by the 10p carrier bag charge, to different charities and organisations across Scotland.
Lewis Jardine, Community Relations Manager at McDonald’s in Newbridge, said: “We are delighted to support Bo’ness United Community Football Club with this donation. Supporting our local community is of the utmost importance to us and clubs such as this are a pivotal part of that. To also have one of our assistant managers, Megan McMeechan, working as a coach at the club makes this donation extra special. I hope this donation will help support more people in taking part in activities run by the charity and that the club will continue to be successful.”
Peter Hay, Club Development Manager at Bo’ness United Community Football Club, said: “We can’t thank the Newbridge restaurant team enough for their support with this generous donation. The funding has allowed us to continue to do work in local community by offering free football to members and non-members and supporting local schools with football support, as well as general running of our sessions. We hope to build on our relationship with McDonald’s in the future.”
In 2024, proceeds from the 10p carrier bag charge were used to donate £2 million from Scottish McDonald’s restaurants, which was shared across 130 charities.