Franchisee Elliot Jardine, who owns and operates nine McDonald’s restaurants including two in Falkirk, recently made a significant contribution of £10,000 to the Falkirk Football Community Foundation.
The Foundation strives to improve the lives of young people in Falkirk and has recently launched the Midnight League in partnership with Falkirk Council, local schools, Youth Scotland, and the police. The initiative provides sporting activities for local young people on Friday nights encouraging teamwork, communication, cooperation, and respect. The initiative strives to help young people be healthier and happier, whilst helping achieve a more peaceful neighbourhood for residents. The pilot scheme saw around 50 young people aged 12-18 attend.
Falkirk Football Community Foundation also partners with Forth Valley College to deliver a programme for 18-24 year olds, offering them work placements and experience through Elliot Jardine’s McDonald’s restaurants. With this funding, longer term relationships hope to be built with the young people, providing assurance of continuity and making a difference to their lives, whilst improving anti-social behaviour in the town centre.
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.
McDonald’s franchisee Elliot Jardine said: “Supporting our local community is of upmost importance to my team and me, which is why I was so pleased to see the McDonald’s in the Community Foundation officially launch this year. It means that each restaurant group can make meaningful contributions to charities in the communities that we operate in. I’m so proud to be donating this money to a great foundation such as Falkirk Football Community Foundation to help keep its great work going – instilling important values in young people and helping to steer them in the right direction through sports is a cause I feel passionate about.”
Derek Allison, CEO of Falkirk Football Community Foundation said: “We’re so grateful to McDonald’s and Elliot Jardine for this generous contribution – the funds will make such a difference and really help us to continue supporting young people in our community. The work of our foundation aims to value and develop confidence in young people and the Midnight League continues this mission through the universal language of sport. We look forward to continuing our partnership with McDonald’s in the future.”
