(11 October 2005 ) - Celtic Football club has pledged its support for "6 villages for 2006", the joint charity campaign of FIFA and SOS Children's Villages. During the build up to the next World Cup, Celtic will help raise funds needed for the building of a children's village in Rustenburg, South Africa - one of six new children's villages which will be constructed under "6 villages for 2006" - official charity campaign of the 2006 World Cup TM.

Gordon Strachan, manager of Celtic, has agreed to become the official "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" ambassador for Scotland and will be leading Celtic's campaign efforts. Gordon Strachan commented, "I am very honoured and proud to be asked to be FIFA/SOS Children's Ambassador for Scotland. I will be delighted to offer whatever help I can either as a figurehead or in a practical way."

Peter Lawwell, Chief Executive added, "Celtic is proud to work with FIFA and SOS Children on this campaign and believes that this work is fully in line with the rich charitable history of Celtic FC."

Strachan will line up alongside some 60 current and former footballers already serving as "FIFA for SOS Children's Villages" ambassadors, including Andriy Shevchenko, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Wayne Rooney, George Weah, Jay Jay Okocha, Lucas Radebe, Hugo Sánchez, Robert Pirès and many more.

Andrew Cates, Chief Executive SOS Children's Villages UK commented: "Given Celtic FC's formation back in 1888 as a charitable organisation for the support of vulnerable immigrant children, it is very fitting that today Celtic continues to use its huge influence to help provide support for some of the world's most deserving children. We are delighted to campaign with Celtic and Gordon Strachan and are sure that football supporters across Scotland will join in supporting '6 villages for 2006' to help children with nowhere else to turn."

Under the "6 villages for 2006" campaign, donations will be collected for the construction of six new SOS Children's Villages - one each in Brazil, Mexico, Nigeria, South Africa, Vietnam and Ukraine. These new facilities will provide homes in a family environment for hundreds of orphaned, abandoned and destitute children.

SOS Children's Villages is active in 132 countries and territories. 438 SOS Children's Villages and 346 SOS Youth Facilities provide more than 59,000 children and youths in need with a new home. More than 131,000 children/youths attend SOS Kindergartens, SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools and SOS Vocational Training Centres. Around 397,000 people benefit from the services provided by SOS Medical Centres, 115,000 people from services provided by SOS Social Centres. SOS Children's Villages also helps in situations of crisis and disaster through emergency relief programmes.

CONTACTS:

For more information on 6 villages for 2006 and SOS-Kinderdorf International, please contact:

Adriana Pontieri, International Press Officer
Tel: +43-1 368 2457 2185
Email: adriana.pontieri@sos-kd.org
http://www.6villagesfor2006.org

For more information on Gordon Strachan, Celtic FC and SOS Children's Villages UK, please contact:

Jenny Townsend
6 Villages for 2006 Campaign Director UK
Email: jenny.townsend@sos-uk.org.uk
Tel: 01223 365589 (office) 07775 505807 (mobile) http://www.soschildrensvillages.org.uk/charity-news/six-villages.htm