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Big Coat Day 2013/ 2014

Help us help you make a difference for the homeless

Last year the impact of the cold winter months on the North West took someone’s life every half hour. FC United of Manchester’s decision to organise the Big Coat Day collection of warm winter clothing at its New Year fixture proved timely. The winter was one of the coldest in almost 40 years. However a fantastic response from the public and football fans alike saw a 6.5 ton wall of winter clothing collected to keep the poor and needy warm around the city.

Dave Smith, a director at charity Boaz Trust, one of our partners in Big Coat Day, said: "We are really grateful for Big Coat Day. The collection produced some very good quality coats and jackets, and now many of the poorest people in Manchester can see out the winter in warmth and comfort. Thank you so much to everyone who donated, and to all the staff at FC who gave of their time to organise the event so well."

The coming winter presents us with a new challenge, so we hope that you and/or your organisation can help us help you make a difference by actively supporting Big Coat Day 2013. If you can organise collections of warm winter clothing in your workplaces, then we can help save lives.

FC United, has scheduled its 21 December fixture for the club’s annual Big Coat Day collection. We ask organisations to contact us at vinnythompson@fc-utd.co.uk now with offers of support. Bury FC and Barwell FC, our opponents on the day, are supporting Big Coat Day, along with our three charity partners, Mustard Tree, Boaz Trust and ACE Centre North.

Mustard Tree vans will be at Gigg Lane in Bury on the forecourt of Bury FC’s stadium from 12 noon until 2.50pm on 21 December so that the public and supporters can donate their spare winter clothing, blankets etc at Gigg Lane, Bury. The collection will be followed at 3pm by the FC United vs Barwell FC game.

Organisations that wish to collect but cannot bring the clothing to Gigg Lane, can contact vinnythompson@fc-utd.co.uk or telephone 0161 273 8950 to discuss alternative arrangements.

How Big Coat Day 2012 beat the big freeze

Collections were held at Jobcentreplus, ASDA , BT, Royal Mail , BAE systems , NHS and other workplaces and the BBC TV bulletins broadcast regular appeals. MPs, local councillors, representatives of workplaces, schools, community centres, faith groups and FC United fans from as far away as Scotland and Shropshire, struggled through the cold to get to Gigg Lane in Bury to deliver their spare clothing. Homeless charities, Mustard Tree and the Boaz Trust were on hand to collect the clothing for distribution to the homeless and needy around the city.

The Royal Exchange’s cast of Zack lent their support and came down on the day, whilst comedian John Henshaw made this appeal:

“Check in your wardrobe and the back of your door
Have you got a BIG COAT you don’t need anymore?

“FC United will take it off your hands
And if there’s gloves in the pockets, well that‘d be grand

“FC United - still finding time to think of others at Yule.
It makes me proud to be associated with them, and I am a BLUE!!???

“Big Coat Day may have started in 2005 as a bit of fun to show we had reached our first Xmas, and it still is fun. But it is also an important statement showing that our supporters continue to care for all our community,??? said Andy Walsh, FCUnited general manager.

Please if you can help either via simply a look through your wardrobes etc or via a collection at your workplace or social circle please contact the FC office at office@fc-utd.uk or Vinny Thompson at vinnythompson@fc-utd.co.uk.

Phone contacts for any further information 0161 273 8950 or 07792 833 086.

The Cast and Creatives of Victoria Wood’s ’That Day We Sang’ at the Royal Exchange Theatre’ Support Big Coat Day.






First Posted ~ 18:36 Thu 14 Nov 2013
News ID ~ 5188
Last Updated ~ 00:47 Tue 16 Feb 2021