James Anderson: Women's game nets £250,000 donation
- Published
Edinburgh-based philanthropist James Anderson has donated £250,000 to boost women's football in Scotland.
Awarded through the Scottish Football Partnership Trust, the money is described as the single biggest investment in the women's game.
It is hoped that following the processing of Gift Aid, the donation will increase to £312,500.
Anderson has previously donated more than £3m to help the men's game through the coronavirus pandemic.
Scottish Women's Football's Vivienne MacLaren said it showed the women's game had not been forgotten.
"This support will help provide an incredibly powerful message to all girls and women in Scotland that their sport matters and has not been forgotten in the midst of this pandemic," she explained.
"We are very grateful to James Anderson for recognising this. We are delighted that we are able to deliver this funding via the SFP Trust and thank them for their support."
Anderson said football for girls and women is making "incredible progress across every level", inspiring him to make his latest donation.
"Football is at the heart of communities across Scotland and the women's game is a key part of this," he added.
The initial phase of funding will be distributed by the trust to SWPL1 and SWPL2 clubs as well as SWF to sustain non-playing staff and key club infrastructure. Benefits will also filter down to other SWF member clubs, including those at grassroots level.
James Clydesdale, chair of the SFP Trust, commented: "The women's game has been making great progress in the last five years and we don't want to see this momentum lost due to the Covid crisis."