Glenrothes Strollers to help deliver new Scottish FA programme that provides after school and holiday football activity

Glenrothes Strollers' state-of-the-art community pavilion at Over Stenton Park (Photo: National World/ELM Archive)

The partnership sees investment of £1.8 million from the Scottish Government divided across the participating football clubs and trusts across the country, with Stollers the only Fife-based inclusion at this time.

Through wider engagement with local support services, schools and local authorities the programme aims to tackle poverty by designing a system of accessible and affordable school age childcare for children from low-income families, while also reducing barriers to a range of activities around the school day.

In addition to offering increased accessibility to organised children’s activity for targeted families, the programme provides wider impacts to families and communities by allowing parents and carers to sustain and/or increase their working hours, improve employment circumstances, take up training or studying, and facilitate respite opportunities.

Additionally, through comprehensive monitoring and evaluation, the programme has developed a better understanding into the role that organised children’s activities can play in tackling food insecurities, as well as indicators to measure improved mental health for families and wider outcomes.

Paul McNeill, head of football development at the Scottish FA, hailed the impact that the scheme will bring, saying: “The Scottish FA Extra Time programme is a prime example of the power that football wields to positively impact communities throughout the nation.

“Most families know only too well how difficult it is to balance childcare with the pressures of modern-day life and this partnership with the Scottish Government helps to provide families with invaluable flexibility that can benefit them in a variety of areas.

“Equally importantly, the programme engages primary school aged children in football, exposing them to the well-documented myriad physical and mental wellbeing benefits that football participation brings.”

The Scottish FA Extra Time Programme involves clubs across the nation, from as far north as Aberdeen FC Community Trust, to Queen of the South Community Trust near the border.