Shelter Tackle Homelessness Through Heineken Cup Final Partnership

The former Scotland and Bath Heineken Cup winning captain (1998) turned BBC pundit was delighted to be the first person to send a charity text message under Shelter's Heineken Cup Final Text and Donate scheme.
His message marked the start of a sporting partnership between Shelter and the ERC, organisers of the Heineken Cup tournament. The pair have teamed up to raise money for the charity through this month's 10th anniversary Heineken Cup Final, which takes place at Murrayfield, Edinburgh, on Sunday May 22.
Shelter is the first ever official charity partner of the Heineken Cup Final in a new move for the ERC that will see the tournament organisers chose a charity partner for each annual final in the city in which it is held.
The Text and Donate scheme, which will run from now until the end of May, is just one of several ways that rugby fans can help Shelter support the thousands of people who suffer from bad housing and homelessness in Scotland each year. more/
Shelter volunteers will also be collecting spare change from rugby fans on the day of the Heineken Cup Final.
Director of Shelter Scotland, Liz Nicholson, said she was delighted the charity had been chosen as the first ever official charity of the Heineken Cup Final and praised the ERC for looking to help others.
She said: "Shelter believes everyone should have a home and that's why we work to help people find and keep a home, and campaign for decent housing for everyone. The generosity of rugby fans at the Heineken Cup Final will help us continue our vital work supporting homeless and badly housed people right across Scotland."
Derek McGrath, ERC Chief Executive, "ERC want to ensure that the annual Heineken Cup Final leaves a positive legacy in each city where the final is held. We are very pleased that Shelter Scotland have become our first Heineken Cup final charity partners and we hope that this relationship will contribute to their valuable work of tackling the problems of homelessness in Scotland."
To donate to Shelter text the words 'Shelter donate' to 88600. Texts cost £1.50 and your standard message rate for each message sent. A minimum of 80p will be donated to Shelter depending on your network provider. See terms and conditions www.shelter.org.uk