Local church team scoops the SCIAF Shield

A football team made up of parishioners from local churches around Airdrie scooped the first ever SCIAF Shield.

The SCIAF Shield is a new 5-a-side tournament that brought together 16 teams for an exciting afternoon of community and sport - all in support of SCIAF's life-changing work overseas.

A team made up of parishioners from The Sacred Heart in Salsburgh and St Aloysius in Chapelhall was led by parish priest, Father Mark O’Donnell. The tournament was held at Goals in the southside of Glasgow.

St Aloysius and The Sacred Heart beat Nun The Wiser to lift the trophy.

He said:

“It was great to be there supporting SCIAF, which does such great work around the world. SCIAF of course gets much of its support from different schools and parishes across Scotland.

“We all really enjoyed the day – we had a good couple of games, a great tournament and some lovely (rainy) Scottish weather so we can’t complain too much!”

SCIAF is present in the world’s most difficult places. The charity works with people in the hardest circumstances, so they can overcome their daily struggles and the structures of injustice that make and keep them poor. 

Ben Wilson, SCIAF’s Director of Public Engagement said:

“This was our first ever SCIAF Shield, so we’re all so glad with how well it went. Well done to St Aloysius and The Sacred Heart for coming out on top!

“Our motto for this year – our 60^th anniversary - is 'a better world is possible' and we really hope that this is a message we want to get across to everyone right now, that actually although we see so much trouble in the world, so much heartache, so many terrible things happening in Gaza and Ukraine and across the world, that actually we need to remain hopeful. By supporting SCIAF, by giving to SCIAF, we are giving hope to people who are facing really difficult times across the world.”