Forty local children had the chance to meet Kilmarnock FC stars Cammy Bell, William Gros and Tim Clancy at a Tesco Bank Football Challenge session at Kirkstyle Primary School, Bellfield.
The Tesco Bank Football Challenge is a four year community programme run in partnership with the Scottish FA. The programme introduces football to Primary 2 and Primary 3 children (six - eight years old) at schools across Scotland and gets them engaged in a healthy and active lifestyle.
Coaches from Kilmarnock FC have worked alongside Tesco Bank and the Scottish FA to deliver the programme to boys and girls in the Ayrshire area across the last six weeks, while over 15,000 children across Scotland have been involved in the programme in the last six months.
Kilmarnock and Scotland goalkeeper Cammy Bell said:
“The Tesco Bank programme provides the ideal opportunity for kids to play football at an early age, hopefully this will encourage them to remain physically active throughout their lives."
Kilmarnock FC community coach James McHarg added:
“The Tesco Bank Football Challenge is integral to the development of the game in Scotland. It is not only about learning basic football skills but also about getting children involved in physical activity and leading healthier lives. It’s fantastic to see Tesco Bank working with Kilmarnock FC and the SFA to give local children the opportunity to take part in a programme that is so beneficial for both the local community and Scottish football.”
Adele Mills, Community Investment Manager at Tesco Bank commented:
“Tesco Bank aims to make a positive contribution to the Ayrshire area both in the way we do business and by supporting community initiatives.
"Football is central to this programme, acting as a vehicle for fitness and the development of both physical and social skills.
"Our aim is to see hundreds of boys and girls from across the region participating in football on a regular basis and having fun.
"We hope our initiative gives the kids an experience that will stay with them for life and ultimately encourage regular involvement in the game.”
Tesco Bank is investing over £1 million in the programme and will use the power of football to get six to eight year-old children active. The aim is to reach 72,000 boys and girls of all levels and abilities in, at least, 1,600 primary schools across Scotland’s 32 local authorities with over 500,000 coaching hours.