THE Wasp Community Club helped to spread the festive cheer by delivering winter hampers to the elderly residents of Clackmannanshire.

Associated community trusts (ATCs) and Scottish Professional Football League clubs's Festive Friends initiative is now in its fifth year; however, it looks a lot different this year.

Under normal circumstances, Festive Friends take place at football stadiums across the country, with participants enjoying a tasty Christmas lunch, fun and games and a gift from the club.

The initiative has been enjoyed by almost 4,000 people over the past four years.

However, with the restrictions in place due to Covid-19, this year's initiative has been renamed Festive Friends At Home.

Clubs took the initiative into their owns and headed out to the communities to make doorstep visits and deliver hampers.

A spokesperson for Alloa Athletic's Wasp Community Club said: "The support we have received from local companies and volunteers to help deliver Xmas Hampers to the elderly residents of Clackmannanshire has been phenomenal.

"We hope the hampers provide some festive cheer in what has been a very difficult year."

More than 2,400 people across Scotland will receive a socially distanced doorstep visit to their home and a Christmas hamper delivered by someone from their local SPFL club.

Funding from businessman James Anderson and an anonymous donor has ensured that £87,000 has been committed to this year's campaign, meaning SPFL Trust can double the number of people clubs are able to support.

Warren Hawke, SPFL Trust interim chief executive, added: "This year has been challenging for us all, not least for those who are experiencing social isolation.

"Festive Friends has been such a successful programme that has grown year on year, and so we recognised that we needed a new approach to keep the programme going in 2020.

"Festive Friends At Home, is about more than just sending out Christmas hampers; it's about delivering compassion, patience and kindness at the end of a year when it's never meant more.

"We'd like to thank James Anderson and our second donor for their support in delivering this initiative. Their generosity will enable us to reach more people than ever before."

Visit www.spfltrust.org.uk/festive-friends-at-home-2020/ for more information on this year's Festive Friends At Home.