The Scottish FA Extra Time programme is having a huge impact in communities.
Iain Christie, Community Football Projects Coordinator at the Scottish FA, believes the Scottish FA's Extra Time programme has had an "incredible" impact on communities the length and breadth of the country.
The project is a joint initiative with the Scottish Government and the Scottish FA which aims to support local football clubs and trusts to provide before and after-school and holiday activity clubs for primary school-age children from low-income backgrounds.
The partnership, which was launched with the Scottish Government last year, was designed to increase the availability of childcare services whilst encouraging children to engage in sport and physical activity.
By giving over 3,000 children each week access to sport and other activities outwith normal school hours, the funding will also help parents and carers to find employment and training opportunities.
An investment of £4million from the Scottish Government was divided across 31 participating football clubs and trusts from as far north as Aberdeen FC Community Trust, to Queen of the South Community Trust near the border, all of whom have had go through an application process.
Christie said: "Phase One ran from October last year to the end of March this year, and then we got funding for a second phase, which ran from April 1 this year and continues until the 31st of March next year.
"The programme has supported a wide range of clubs across the country with a mix of urban and rural communities, from the likes of Aberdeen Community Trust to clubs in the central belt such as Falkirk Foundation, Motherwell Community Trust and Wasp Community Club, and grassroots clubs including Edinburgh South, North Kelvin Sports Development Group, Glenrothes Strollers and many others.
"It's really important. It's vital and the impact that we've seen in what is a relatively short space of time is incredible. We've got the direct impacts that we were expecting, such as increased access to organised activity and food provision to help tackle food poverty.
"But on the back of that we're starting to see more and more indirect benefits emerge, such as a lot of clubs reporting improved school attendance and attainment for the children that are participating.
"Also, increased engagement in other club activities outwith the Extra Time programme, some of these children now attending more club activity, but also more club activity in the community, so not specifically linked to these clubs.
"Children are improving their social skills, and therefore getting more involved in other community clubs, other sports clubs, other things like that.
"So the benefit and the impact that we've seen so far is it's been absolutely brilliant. It is a relatively short period of time and the more this programme grows, the more that impact will increase.
"The clubs themselves are in a really strong position to be able to deliver this through relationships with the families. They have the knowledge of the communities, they know the barriers that the communities face and there isn't necessarily the same stigma that we attach to other kinds of anti-poverty initiatives.
"A lot of clubs have recruited staff directly to support this initiative. We've seen changes in staff job descriptions. Some clubs are employing roles such as family liaison officers to really reach these children. So a lot of the clubs have had to adapt in terms of how the staffing structure works. It's not just football coaches anymore. There's care side to it as well.
"A lot of these clubs are now working at capacity so it's a really positive initiative."
Dundee United Sports Club children benefitting from Extra Time
Dundee United Sports Club 1984 is a community club in Dundee that provides opportunities from pre-school to adults in football.
Finlay Robb, DUSC 1984 development officer, has been involved with the Extra Time programme since its launch and he outlined the work that is done on Tayside.
He said: "Our project supports 30 children from a number of backgrounds from single parent low income households to families with disabled parents or children with most parents trying to get back to work or further education but are limited due to child care cost.
"Our offering gives each child/family support by providing an after-school service from 3:15pm-6pm Monday to Friday. Each child is collected from school on one of our partnership companies buses and transported to our facility at Craigie community sports area which we rent off our partner, Craigie Community Sports hub.
"Each child then comes in and gets a healthy snack before participating in an activity outside or in the gym hall at Craigie High School which again we lease off of Active Schools if needed.
"Children then receive a hot meal before being collected at 6pm. We also offer other activities for children such as arts and cooking to keep the wider audience engaged.
"Every child and family have seen benefits from our project such as additional employment, an increase in hours and gaining further qualifications, whether that be from ourselves or through the college or university."
One of the many people to benefit from the Extra Time initiative is Chanice Neilson, who was recruited as a cook during the summer.
Formerly a care worker, she said: "I was actually doing volunteering at a youth club on a Thursday at Rowantree Primary School and the headteacher had been watching what I was doing, and told me there was an opportunity with DUSC coming up and that I would be the perfect person for it.
"I had an informal interview with Finlay from DUSC and I now do up to 20 hours a week at the Craigie Community Sports Hub to cook for all the Extra Time children.
"In a way, it is the best thing that could have happened to me. It has been brilliant. It's been an amazing opportunity, it fits around my kids and it's actually helped with my confidence, speaking to all the parents that come in and getting feedback about the cooking, because cooking is something I've always loved doing, but it's always been at home, I've never had the experience in a kitchen outwith my house
"So the way I look at it is this has been an amazing opportunity to learn new skills in a kitchen. I cook for all the Extra Time children, getting them involved, helping with things like pizza and macaroni. It is something that I love doing."