Blackburn Rovers and the Rovers Community trust helped Secret Santa meet their goal of delivering several hundred 'Eid gift bags' to disadvantaged children.

The football club helped with a donation of £3,000 which saw the community interest company, which works in partnership with One Voice Blackburn, able to deliver over 311 gift backs in their collaborative 'Secret Sheikh' project.

Managing director of Secret Santa, Phil Boulding said: "Our long term friends at Blackburn Rovers and the Rovers Community Trust blew us away with a £3,000 donation.

"These two organisations, who themselves do so much with integration support work for the people of Blackburn with Darwen, really are “Premier league” minded!"

The company has also had support from councillors, Pat McFall and Maureen Bateson; Bill Hodgson, who pulled a sleigh across the Fylde coast at Christmas; as well as a £1,000 donation from IMO Charity in Blackburn.

Phil added: "We hope everyone can see that together the collective people of Blackburn with Darwen are so much stronger and more capable when working with each other."

In the same time, the company has also been able to help feed homeless and starving children in Kashmir, Pakistan with a £500 donation, as well as purchasing £500 of Rovers children's kits.

Chief executive of Blackburn Rovers, Steve Waggot commented: “The work of Phil Boulding and his Secret Santa is both critical and inspirational to all those involved.

"It is a wonderful project that spreads great joy amongst those most vulnerable people, groups and communities who struggle with the day-to-day issues they face.

"Secret Santa mirrors the values and culture of the Club’s corporate social responsibility role and their work is needed more than ever in such difficult times so we are delighted to support Phil and his team whenever possible."