Pakistan + SOS Children’s Villages

Club members helped to contribute over £1,000 and their efforts being matched by an additional £1,000 from Manchester United Foundation.

Ismaeel Tayyab, branch chairman, said: “I want to thank everyone involved in this endeavour. No other football club has done anything like this before in Pakistan so it has made us all even prouder to be Manchester United fans.”

Half the money was donated to the Pakistan branch of SOS Children’s Villages, a global charity working to protect children who have lost parental care, or who are at risk of losing it. The charity works with communities, partners and governments to protect the rights of children and to provide care, education and healthcare for children who need it most.

“We wanted to find a good and reliable charity so we chose one which the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited when they came to Pakistan,” said Ismaeel. “Child poverty is a problem in Pakistan like in many countries so this was a cause we were very happy to support.”

The other half of the money raised was donated to a variety of charities across the country, including some responding to severe monsoon flooding around Karachi.

Ismaeel said the charitable initiative had been a unifying experience for the Supporters’ Club during the Covid crisis, with donations made online from across the country.

During the season, members gather to watch live screenings of United matches in designated cafes in six Pakistani cities. Ismaeel says that, while cricket remains Pakistan’s national sport, football is growing in popularity. “The Premier League is the number one league and Manchester United is the number one club,” he says. “It’s been great to see the club and the Foundation giving something back.”