Holemasters are proud to announce that Maggie’s Cancer Care will now feature on the back of the Airdrieonians FC home shirt for the forthcoming season.

Rather than have our logo on front and back we decided to work in conjunction with the charity and Airdrie FC to come up with a programme that will not only boost Maggie’s profile locally and nationally, but also help strengthen their funds which are needed to keep the centre open.

Fundraising Manager Gayle Cobain explained more about the charity. “A diagnosis of cancer brings with it tough questions, exhausting treatment and difficult emotions that can range from isolation to loneliness. This affects not only the person with cancer but their friends and family too. Maggie’s Lanarkshire provides free practical, emotional and social support for people with cancer and their family and friends. Maggie’s is here for everyone and anyone affected by cancer, offering a program of support that has been shown to strengthen physical and emotional wellbeing.”

Built on the grounds of Monklands Hospital, Maggie’s Lanarkshire is a warm and welcoming place with professional staff on hand to offer the support needed for people affected by cancer to find their way through illness. The calm and tranquil setting is a place to find practical advice about benefits and eating well; a place where qualified experts provide emotional support; a place to meet other people or simply to sit quietly with a cup of tea.

Centre Head Lorrie Forsyth said: “Everyone at Maggie’s Lanarkshire is hugely grateful to Airdrie FC and Holemasters for their amazing support. The awareness and funds they raise for Maggie’s will help enable to us to continue to support the thousands of people affected by cancer who come to Maggie‘s Lanarkshire every year seeking our help. We are really excited to welcome the Airdrie team to Maggie’s Lanarkshire at Monklands Hospital, a place which is calm, uplifting and inspiring – for everyone with cancer and their families and friends too. It cost approximately £2,400 per day to fund Maggie’s Lanarkshire, and we rely on the kindness and generosity of people and companies to ensure this range of support can be offered to anyone affected by cancer.”

David McArthur from Holemasters has been a massive driving force behind the unique initiative. He said: “Having both back of strip sponsorship and main front sponsorship, we were able to use this opportunity to be able to showcase Maggie’s Lanarkshire this season”.

“It’s an incredible facility to have in Airdrie and I know the work they do helps so many people. It’s only right that in turn we help them as much as we can.”

Commercial Manager, Douglas Allsop, from Airdrie FC explained: “While there is little that Scottish football teams can do financially to support charities like Maggie’s, we can most certainly offer a platform to boost awareness, and offer a vehicle for them to promote events throughout the year.

“While the logo will hopefully receive a lot of attention in the press over the season, they (along with St. Andrew’s Hospice) will also receive programme and trackside space. Boardroom spaces will be given to them to auction off at their fundraisers, and we will also be setting out a programme of events at the Centre where the players and staff from the club will visit to offer support and help.

I was delighted that we had two Airdrie fans who are Centre users at the launch. 76 year old Joe Marshall – who has been following Airdrie since the 50’s and is still a season ticket holder, and Lynsey Caldwell, who was a very close friend of the late Mark Allison who featured on the strips last season as a mark of respect.

“It was Mark’s association with Maggie’s which has started the whole idea, and I am sure he would be delighted.”

Lynsey added: “Mark was full of personality and had a zest for life. He had an ability to get things done and didn’t just talk the talk, he walked the walk too. He was pro-active in his support for Maggie’s and felt that a relationship with his football club would be a huge leap forward in building awareness of the work that they do”.

The new strips will be on show for the first time this Saturday, when Airdrieonians take on Alloa at Excelsior Stadium, kick off 3:00pm.