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Crime cash to kick start girls' football
30/09/2008
The proceeds of crime is to be used to fund a series of initiatives aimed at encouraging more girls to play, coach and volunteer for football.
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill today announced that the Scottish Government has brokered agreement with the Scottish FA to provide £297,000 over the next three years to support four football-related projects.
The latest phase of the Scottish Government's CashBack for Communities scheme will be used to increase participation in girls football and ensure that all those girls who want to play the sport on a formal and regular basis can do so.
The girls and women's game is growing in Scotland, and this money will help us raise our game further and catch up with other countries such as America, Germany and Sweden.
The scheme includes linking schools to the 12 Scottish Women's Premier League clubs, a series of roadshows in areas not covered by these clubs to make girls aware of playing opportunities and the development of a national programme for girls football and the resources to support it.
Speaking in advance of visiting Spartans Football Club in Edinburgh, Kenny MacAskill said:
"Girls and women's football is the fastest growing sport in the world. Already in Scotland around 27,000 females are playing our national game.
"Football can play a big part in diverting young people from getting involved in crime and antisocial behaviour. That is why this Government, as part of our CashBack for Communities scheme, is helping the Scottish FA to inspire and attract large numbers of female youth players, coaches and volunteers to the beautiful game.
"Football is a game for girls as well as boys. Equally as well as helping the lads, we want to help the ladettes find something better to do with their lives and keep them out of mischief.
"We want to show our young people that there is more to life than drink, drugs and offending and CashBack is giving us the way of doing just that, giving them the opportunity to be all they can be."
Gordon Smith, Scottish FA Chief Executive said:
"Football is a fantastic tool for educating young people and helping them to develop into better citizens, and we're committed to creating and maintaining structures that will allow as many girls to play organised football as possible.
"We share many aims and objectives with the CashBack for Communities programme, and this funding will help us, not only to nurture the future stars of our Women's National Team, but to focus on developing heath, wellbeing, attitude and confidence at all levels of participation."
Sheila Begbie, Head of Girl's and Women's Football at the Scottish FA said:
'We are really delighted with this support from the Government through the CashBack initiative in order to progress the girls' and women's game. It is really important to develop the club structures to ensure that we can provide opportunities for young girls and women at all levels in the clubs.'
Shelley Kerr, Scotland Women's National Team Player said:
"The experience of being part of a team is invaluable for young people, and it definitely shaped my life. I think it's crucial that girls are given as many opportunities as possible to play football, to develop their talent, to learn about teamwork, and to learn good habits for life.
"Whether girls are aiming for the highest level, or want to play just for the love of the game, the initiatives that this funding allows will provide many opportunities."
Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill announced in a debate in the Scottish Parliament on June 6 last year that this Government would establish a new approach to reinvesting the money from proceeds of crime to benefit Scotland's communities and especially those hardest hit by crime by investing in services and activities which could make a real difference to young people's lives.
Already through our CashBack for Communities scheme, funding has been announced for initiatives for youth football, rugby and basketball, culture and arts activities and support for youth projects in every local authority area in Scotland.
This latest strand of the CashBack for Communities scheme will provide £297,000 of the proceeds of crime over the next three years to the Scottish Football Association for the development of girls football.
The funding will enable the creation of four new initiatives as follows:
- £45,000 for the development of a national programme and resources: The Scottish FA will work with experts in the fields of health, fitness, wellbeing, confidence and individual responsibility to create workbooks, workshops, web resources and presentations. These resources will be made available to any existing or new girls football clubs
- £144,000 for the promotion of links between Scotland's 12 women's premier league clubs and local schools. Each club will appoint a volunteer to liaise with the school and the clubs will arrange training sessions at the schools involved for any female pupils interested
- £90,000 for the provision of equipment such as goals, football strips, football and the hire of facilities. Also to support projects linked to the development of a national programme
- £18,000 for up to eighteen roadshows and events to make existing female players and other girls and women aware of the opportunities available to play football and the support available for them. In addition, with a national network of Football Development Officers and regional staff, the Scottish FA and Scottish Women's Football (SWF) will actively promote and support opportunities throughout Scotland including open evenings for parents and guardians and schools visits