Children of volunteers and families working with Home-Start, one of Scotland’s leading family support charities, will be the team mascots leading players out onto the pitch at the semi-finals of the Scottish League Cup at Tynecastle on the 30th and at Hampden Park on 31st January.

Home-Start is the official charity partner of the Scottish League Cup, presented by Utilita Energy, which has worked closely with the charity in recent years on a number of fundraising initiatives.

Supporters will be greeted at the gates by Home-Start volunteers fundraising for the charity’s vital work with some of the 2,500 families it supports in Scotland every year.

Shelagh Young, director of Scotland, Home-Start UK said, “Home-Start volunteers are changing the lives of families across Scotland, and we are delighted that our work is being supported by the SPFL and Utilita.

“Home-Starts depend on the support of local communities to help families and fund their work. We are also always looking for more volunteers, including men. This is a great opportunity to increase awareness of what we do and how everyone can help us support more families in 2016 which is Scotland’s Year of the Dad.”

Utilita Energy CEO, Bill Bullen, added: “The work Home-Start does for some of Britain’s most vulnerable families is both vital and humbling. We have seen this first-hand.

SPLF semi-final mascots“Charities like Home-Start need all the help they can get and we are only too delighted to bring them on board to help raise their profile in Scotland. We hope – and believe – Scottish football fans will respond to Home-Start’s magnificent work.”

The first Home-Start in Scotland was started in 1984. There are now 33 local Home-Starts working in communities right across Scotland. Last year they supported almost 2,500 families and just under 5,000 children.

Home-Start is particularly looking for volunteer parents to be trained to support other families in Scotland through their struggles, and for funding to continue training their volunteers and supporting families in Scotland.