Morton in the Community have revealed they will be opening a community hub at Cappielow as part of a new SPFL Trust initiative.

SPFL Trust Community Hubs will be located at ten football stadiums across the country.

They will provide a safe space for people to seek help, find hope and connect with essential support services.

Inspired by the successful model of the Aberdeen Community Hub, which launched with the support of the SPFL Trust’s Winter Support Fund in 2022, the new hubs aim to replicate this impactful work across Scotland.

Morton in the Community is one of ten community trusts who will receive funding for their community hub by the SPFL Trust.

Running in two phases, phase one will begin in March with hubs opening at Aberdeen, Motherwell, Kilmarnock, Hearts, and Falkirk. Phase two will kick off in October, at Montrose, Morton, Queen of the South, Raith Rovers and Alloa.

The SPFL Trust is working closely with each participating community trust to create spaces that reflect the unique needs of their communities.

The hubs will offer more than just a welcoming environment. Each hub will provide hot food and a relaxed atmosphere, where people can access expert advice and support from a range of partner organisations.

These partners will deliver targeted assistance to help with a variety of challenges, from housing and finances - including energy costs - to mental health, physical health, benefits, and overall wellbeing.

Brian McLaughlin, CEO of Morton in the Community, said “Inverclyde has an incredible sense of community, but we know that many families are struggling to make ends meet as the cost of living continues to rise.

“The new hub at Cappielow Park will be more than just a support service - it will be a place where people can come together, share experiences, and access the support they need. By addressing real and urgent challenges, we can help to strengthen our community for the future.”

SPFL Trust CEO Nicky Reid said: “The launch of our new community hubs is gamechanging. Things aren’t getting any easier for people in communities across Scotland.

“We’re coming to the end of our current strategic period, during which we committed to a period of learning around how we can best support communities who are experiencing poverty.

“Through our network, we’ve established that community trusts can provide a one-stop-shop, a place to go for support. We believe it works because football stadiums just don’t feel like imposing places where perhaps you feel a bit judged. We’re saying, come in, have a cuppa, chat if you like, and staff will guide and support you if that’s what you need.

“If we can get people through the door and make sure that the right people with the right information are there to greet them in a way that is approachable and friendly, then we have the opportunity to make a genuine difference.”

One strand of support on offer is around energy, through the SPFL Trust’s partner SGN. Their specific focus on energy support and advice is vital, as many families face stress due to rising costs.

In 2023, 34% of all households in Scotland were estimated to be in fuel poverty, of which 19.4% were in extreme fuel poverty.

Margaret Hamilton, Community Partnership Manager at SGN, said: “The reason we partner with organisations like the SPFL Trust is that they’re already supporting communities we won’t necessarily have access to.”

“We have an ambition to support over 100,000 households per year, and we can’t do that alone. We want to support community trusts to have conversations around energy safeguarding including the Priority Service Register and Carbon Monoxide awareness to help people use energy safely, efficiently, and affordably. We will provide the resources, tools, and techniques to enable them to do that.”

“As part of our partnership, we want to learn from each community trust and take that knowledge forward when supporting even more customers in the future.”