Heart of Midlothian Football Club have committed their support to helping fund a cure for motor neurone disease (MND) by naming one of Scotland’s leading neuro charities as the men’s shirt sponsor for the upcoming season.
MND Scotland will have their logo placed on the front of each jersey for the 2021/21 campaign in a bid to raise both awareness about the condition and money for the charity.
The Edinburgh-based team are also using the deal to pay tribute to club legend and former captain Marius Žaliūkas, who tragically lost his battle with MND last year.
The average life expectancy for MND patients is just 18 months after diagnosis according to the charity, but the Lithunaian defender lived for the condition for nearly seven years.
Žaliūkas passed away aged 36 and was adored by fans, being part of the team that won the 2012 Scottish Cup.
Ann Parks, Director of Partnerships and Community at Hearts, spoke about what impact he had on the club.
“He had an iconic status at the club,” she said. “He was part of what many regard as the greatest ever Scottish Cup victory, which is forever written in the club’s history and folklore.
“He was much loved and it was absolutely shocking when we found out. His family wanted to keep it quiet so it was a tremendous shock when he died at such a young age.
“We are incredibly proud that we could choose MND Scotland, there could be no better tribute to our former captain.
“Equally it’s a really important message for supporters and the families of people affected by MND.”
Žaliūkas isn’t the only person who the partnership is dedicated to.
Robert Wilson was a former director at the club from 2011 and played a huge part in its restructuring after some serious financial difficulties.
He was diagnosed with MND that ended up being fatal and Ann spoke about how his work has helped change the team.
“Robert helped oversee the period that would eventually lead to full fan ownership of Hearts,” she said. “I had the pleasure of working with him for the first year where we were basically putting right all the things that were wrong with the club.
“I wanted to make the point that we are dedicating this to Robert who was fundamentally important in getting the club back on its feet.”
Hearts are also hoping to get its fan’s talking about MND as 200 people a year are diagnosed with the condition in Scotland, a number which seems to be growing.
“MND Scotland has been an absolute dream to work with,” Ann said. “They are really pragmatic about getting a deal which is good for them as well as being smart about the kind of things we can do to raise awareness.
“So many people have their lives touched by MND so the deal has brought on an enormous amount of support, not just from our supporters but from those of other clubs.
“The fan’s reaction has been tremendous, they’re incredibly proud and quite emotional that they can pay tribute to their heroes in this way.”
“Because we are so connected to the community and we have such a big supporter base, we can really amplify these messages to make people more aware and hopefully galvanise them to get involved.”
Iain McWhirter, interim chief executive at MND Scotland, also discussed the overall message of the campaign.
“We are very excited to be partnering with Heart of Midlothian FC this season,” he said. “This fantastic opportunity will honour the memory of former captain Marius Žaliūkas who passed away last year after a brave struggle against motor neurone disease.
“We hope this boost will enable us to speak to even more people about our cause and that the funds donated through sales will help us reach our ultimate goal of finding a cure.
“Until that day we will continue supporting families affected by MND in Scotland, so they do not have to go through the devastation alone.
This funding is another vital part of the campaign, with a lot of charities suffering in this regard because of the events of the last year.
The Jambos, as they are often known, will be donating a portion of the profits from every shirt sold to MND Scotland to help tackle this.
With no current cure for MND, Hearts are hoping some of the money raised will help fund research to end this problem.
They are particularly looking to see its impact locally, with some funds going towards projects at the Euan MacDonald Centre for MND Research at University of Edinburgh.
“I think this is a sponsorship model that other clubs can pick up,” Ann said. “I think that would make a major difference.
“It feels like a privilege in a way that we’ve got such an amazing charity in MND Scotland as the work they do is so important.
“We’re looking forward to what I’m sure is going to be a great relationship with them for the season ahead.”
Dell Technologies are also involved with the deal as they have volunteered to cover the costs of the sponsorship for MND Scotland.
The computing giants have previously been involved with supporting other neuro charities in recent years, such as the MND Association of England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Hearts have been working with Dell for a number of years now, having run a previous campaign to help young girls get into the technology and sports industries.
The football club also helped produce over 800 meals a day for those who needed them when the first lockdown hit the UK last March.
It is also a strong believer in responsible sponsorship, shown by this recent deal, further emphasising the sense of community the club has.
“The club is quite different from others,” Ann said. “We only want sponsorships and things that are supportive of the community.
“There would be no club without the community, so we do a huge amount of work on an educational and social support level.
“The deal with MND Scotland helps get the message across to supporters about the values that underpin the club.
“I think we’ve developed a great model of socially responsible football sponsorships.”
