As a parent of two primary aged children, I am very aware of the need to keep kids entertained after school and I’m currently searching for activities to keep them amused (and exhausted!) over the summer holidays.
Whilst children obviously need time to relax and unwind after a busy school day or year, the worrying figures show that many children, when they reach an age where they can head out on their own, find themselves at a loose end and this can unfortunately end up in trouble. This can go for all sorts of children – clever kids that just choose the wrong path or friends, those that struggle at school and get frustrated and angry or many with difficult family lives that simply want to avoid going home. Without any structured activities to fall back on, children can find themselves getting involved in the wrong sort of activities such as illegal motorbike racing, car theft, drug taking or vandalism and graffiti. This has been evident in the recent Police Scotland Operation Pellucid crackdown on motorbike crime earlier this year which saw 30 arrests with children as young as 15 involved in areas across Edinburgh.
My hope is that children could be diverted away from these options and their energy channelled into more positive activities such as sport. Anyone that knows me knows that I am a massive sports fan, but its ability to engage kids and give them a sense of purpose should not overlooked. Local sports clubs can provide a safe haven for kids, where they can let of steam in a safe environment and build friendships through team work and with their coaches. Having a coach as a separate role model, rather than teacher or parent, can be a vital lifeline to a teenager struggling with school or home life; someone they can talk to and someone who can listen and signpost them to help and support.
Many sports clubs operate throughout our wonderful city and offer a wide range of options to suit all levels and ages. Spartans FC are a prime example. With a strong youth section where they state “players can develop skills that they can use beyond football to handle life’s challenges” and their Spartans Football Community Academy which is a sport based social enterprise, they hope to reach out and engage with young people, both boys and girls, across north Edinburgh. But I know football is not for everyone. There are so many different opportunities out there – athletics, Basketball, badminton, boxing, curling, climbing are just a few at the start of the alphabet but I won’t go on!
As a politician, I welcome funding such as Big Lottery grants, which can help grassroots clubs set up projects and run after school sports clubs. And I am working to ensure school sports facilities are available to be used after school hours and don’t sit idle in the evenings and weekends. I look forward to the opening of the new redeveloped Meadowbank site, which should be completed by 2020, which will provide new 3G pitches, boxing gym, games halls, athletics tracks and many more state of the art facilities to allow it to support the health and wellbeing of the local community.
So I’m hoping to sign my children up to some sports camps this year (my choice would be football, but it seems I am being over-ruled in favour of trampolining!) as the younger they find their passion for sport, the easier it will be to keep them hooked and out of trouble!