Last Friday, local school children from Kildrum Primary and St. Margaret’s of Scotland Schools in Cumbernauld took part in this season’s second Scottish Football Partnership Trust “FooTea” project. Similar to the project which has been running at Kilwinning Sports Club for the past ten weeks, these 20 local children will participate in 12 weeks of FooTea – a two hour based initiative around fun football activities, followed by a session on positive dietary and lifestyle messages and then a hot, healthy meal served at the club’s base within Broadwood Stadium. A second block for a further 20 children will follow later in the year at Broadwood.
The excited children (pictured above with the club’s mascot Colin the Colt) braved the elements to participate in an hour of fun football, with the Cumbernauld Colts Manager, James Orr watching from the sidelines. Coach Alex taught the children some basics around sequenced passing and the benefits of warming-up and cooling-down after exercise and it was then back to the classroom where the children were given their own glossy workbook and were led through the “Eatwell Guide” which explained to the children what they need to eat to be well and stay healthy. By this time, the kids were all looking forward to enjoying their meal – chicken and broccoli pasta/vegetarian pasta served with bread, lots of water and their choice of fresh fruit.
Following the launch, Stuart McCaffrey, Chief Operating Officer at The SFP Trust said “The sport of football when used positively can act as a significant tool for personal and community development. We are excited to be delivering this project at Broadwood Stadium with Cumbernauld Colts FC – an organisation truly at the heart of the community – and to be given the opportunity to positively engage with local school children to encourage them towards a healthy and active lifestyle.”
Stewart McKenzie, Chairman of Cumbernauld Colts FC said, “We are delighted to be working in association with The SFP Trust on this new project which will see our club welcome 40 local school children over two 12 week blocks. We are always looking for new ways to engage with the local community and the FooTea project is a fantastic way to showcase what we can offer to young members of our community at our excellent facilities here at Broadwood. Participation in sport can bring a lifetime of benefits and we look forward to working with the children initially from Kildrum Primary and St Margaret’s of Scotland to Get Fit, Get Healthy and Have Fun!”
The kids are all looking forward to returning next week, when they will work once again on their passing techniques and learning more about the importance of eating their five daily portions of fruit and vegetables.
For more information on the project, please check out the FooTea section of our website www.thescottishfootballpartnership.com/footea/
