St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation Receives £18K+ Grant from the Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation Inc. to Support Abbeycare Buddies Community Hub

St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation is delighted to announce a significant grant of $25,000 (£18,000+) from the Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation Inc., a US-based charitable organisation, to support its Abbeycare Buddies community hub. The grant marks a strong investment in local recovery support, enabling the Foundation to enhance the programme.

Abbeycare Buddies is a weekly community hub where individuals can connect, share experiences and build meaningful social connections as part of their recovery journey.

Taking place every Wednesday evening at the SMiSA Stadium, it combines a hot meal with inspirational guest speakers, peer-led discussions, creative workshops, mindfulness sessions, yoga, and meditation. All delivered in a safe, non-judgemental environment alongside the expert Abbeycare team, St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation staff and community partners.

Gayle Brannigan, CEO of St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation, said:

“The Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation are new funding partners for us, and we could not be more grateful to have their support. From our first meeting with Ian when we were sharing our respective work and getting to know each other, it became clear as soon as we mentioned our hopes for Abbeycare Buddies Recovery Hub, that addiction and recovery are areas they have a genuine interest in and are emotionally invested, we have been greatly impressed with the extraordinary level of knowledge, sensitivity, enthusiasm and care they have shown towards the project so far.   

This funding will help us and our partners at Abbeycare to further develop the project by allowing us to provide additional wraparound support services to the families, children and loved ones of those who are either actively in the throes of dependency or on some stage of their recovery process.

We are confident that this is a partnership that will prove to be purposeful and leave a lasting legacy. ”

This funding will be used to support key elements of the Abbeycare Buddies community hub, including expanding support opportunities, strengthening and increasing outreach to ensure those who can benefit most.

Alexis Graham of the Ellen and Ian Graham Foundation and Trustee of the Ellen and Ian Graham SCIO in Scotland said:

“Oh, when the Saints go marching in! Gayle Brannigan and her team are certainly saints, and the partnership with Abbeycare further enables the delivery of these vital recovery services at scale. We are pleased to help extend this work to the Paisley community and beyond.

As I’ve said before when supporting a similar initiative in Florida, addiction is complex, with neurological, social, and societal dimensions that many of us may not fully understand. That is why we believe it is so important to partner with specialists like Abbeycare and St Mirren FC Charitable Foundation, who have the experience and expertise to support capable people across Scotland who may be in recovery or currently struggling with addiction. Above all, my wife and colleagues want those individuals and their families to know that they are not alone as they navigate this journey.”