The success of Moray’s Street Football Project continues to grow, with more than 1,600 young people taking part during its first year of operation. The mobile pitch has been going out to venues in Moray on a Tuesday and Friday evening over the past year, with on average 35 participants at each session.  Fifteen towns and villages have welcomed the pitch into their area, including Elgin, Lossiemouth, Hopeman, Keith, Forres, Mosstodloch, Findochty, Cullen, Buckie, Tomintoul, Burghead, Rothes, Fochabers, Dufftown and Lhanbryde.

Due to the success of this project to date, additional funding has been secured.

Through the Grampian Housing Association, Communities Scotland has given a £8,000 grant from their Wider Role fund, which is being used to help fund the Street Football Co-ordinator post. 

This will help to continue the street football project for another year, with more sessions per week than before.

Grampian Police, Moray Council and the Anti-Social Behaviour Partnership have also contributed towards the continuation of the co-ordinator post.

Sergeant Colin Taylor, of Grampian Police in Elgin, said the project has had a significant impact on the young people from all the communities and helps to reduce anti-social behaviour in the Moray area.

“It is fulfilling a very basic need; young people enjoy a game of football, and the presence of a league provides a real purpose to the sport,” he said.

“It is difficult to assess the impact on youth crime rates, but there is certainly a better sense of community among youngsters within the participating towns and villages.

“It clearly has a lasting and positive effect.

“The input of volunteers has really made a difference too, and I know that many get just as much from helping out as the young people do in playing.”

"The focus of Grampian Police is towards providing excellent visible, accessible services in order to promote well-being and safety in our communities, and this initiative is certainly a step in the right direction".

Due to the extra funding received from Communities Scotland the initiative will now be expanded.

From now on, the pitch will go out four times a week.

This will enable more communities to be part of the success story, and create a increasingly viable league.

Partnership working has been one of the main strengths of this initiative with organisations such as The Moray Council, Grampian Police, Grampian Fire and Rescue Service and Grampian Housing Association pooling resources to keep the project going.

Street Football has relied heavily on volunteers to assist with setting up and supervising the pitch in the evenings, and a number of these volunteers have came through the RAF bases and Moray College.

The pitch has also been an excellent promotional opportunity for local businesses and organisations to advertise on the panels of the pitch.

The Speyside Glenlivet Water Company have agreed to supply the initiative with bottled water for the participants throughout the whole of Moray.  In return the company will receive an advertising panel on the pitch to promote their Speyside business.

Businesses/organisations that are currently advertising on the panels include Elgin Rotary Club, A. M. McPherson Ltd, Signcrafts, Moray College, Northern Scot and Tesco.

The initiative has also secured a contribution of £170 from the Moray Firth Radio Charity Trust, which will be used to purchase new equipment for the pitch.

Moray Council’s Local Neighbourhood Forums are also supporting the initiative through funding; the forums in Milnes and the Laich area have been the most recent to come on board with this initiative.

The street football sessions are currently taking place in Bishopmill and Burghead.

For further information please contact the Street Football Co-ordinator on 01343 548040.